Storm Stumble Versus NWOSU in Return Home

DURANT, Okla. – Ruthie Forson finished one dig shy of a triple double while pacing Southeastern on offense in kills and assists in a 3-0 loss to Northwestern Oklahoma State on Tuesday night in Bloomer Sullivan Gymnasium.
 
The match was almost like a second home opener after not playing a home match since squaring off with Southern Nazarene on Feb.2
 
The loss drops the Savage Storm to 0-4 on the season heading into a March 19 matchup with No. 8 Oklahoma Baptist at 7 p.m. back in Bloomer Sullivan Gymnasium.
 
Forson's 10 kills led the Storm on the attack, while she continued to fuel the offense even when not on the attack with 31 assists.
 
Caroline Griffith was next in line with nine kills, while Aleksandra Rodic added eight. Skylor Lewis and Jessie Steele each chipped in seven in the effort.
 
SE was near even with the Rangers in kills with 42 to the visitor's 45, but were hurt by errors where they committed 20 to NWOSU's 10.
 
Defensively Grace Shehadeh finished with a match-high 28 digs to pace the back row while Lewis and Rodic cracked double-figures with 16 and 13 digs, respectively.  Forson just missed double-digits with nine which would have given her a triple double.
 
NWOSU jumped out early in set one, taking a 4-1 lead before four-straight Storm kills would answer and give SE a 5-4 lead.
 
The set would feature 11 ties and 11 lead changes from that point on, with the largest lead by either team stretching to three points at 20-17 before an SE rally tied the match at 20-20.  The Rangers would get the final lead change and reel off four-straight points to take the set 25-22.
 
Southeastern took its turn trying out an early lead in set two with the first four points. NWOSU would rally and take a 7-5 lead but SE would regain its momentum slightly and take a 9-7 lead.
 
The Rangers followed with six-straight points to take a 13-9 lead. The Storm would bounce back and tie the match twice before NWOSU would pull out to a 23-18 lead, its largest of the set.
 
Southeastern rallied again, closing to 23-22 and 24-23, but were unable to close out the comeback in a 25-23 set loss.
 
The third set saw a similar trade of runs to open the match, with the Storm eventually pushing tout to a 12-10 lead.
 
NWOSU followed that with five-straight points to regain the lead.
 
Southeastern would respond, knotting the match at 17-17 on a Forson kill, but its offensive momentum slowed as the Rangers took eight of the next nine points to win the set 25-18 and the match 3-0.