Storm Pushes No. 6 OBU in Four-Set Loss

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern pushed sixth-ranked Oklahoma Baptist on Friday night, out-killing them by a 63-56 margin, but were unable to pull off the upset, falling 3-1 in Bloomer Sullivan Gymnasium.
 
The loss drops the Savage Storm to 0-5 to open the year with the next stop on the schedule being back in Bloomer Sullivan Gymnasium for final match in a three-match home stand as they host Southwestern Oklahoma State at 7 p.m.
 
SE put together its best offensive performance of the season with 63 kills and 59 assists for the match.
 
That was triggered by Ruthie Forson who turned in her first 50 assists match of her career, finishing with exactly 50 assists while adding seven kills and 14 digs.
 
Aleksandra Rodic led the way turning those assists into kills, finishing with 15 on the night to lead a trio of players with double-figure kill counts.
 
Jocelyn Grewing turned in a season-best 12 kills, while Caroline Griffith added 10.  Jessie Steele just missed double-digits with eight, while Forson chipped in seven.
 
Defensively, Grace Shehadeh turned in a career-best 35 digs to lead all players across the back row, while Rodic was next in line with 20.  Forson's 14 would crack double-figures, while McKenzie Turkoly added eight.
 
At the net, Steele was in on three blocks, while Forson and Griffith added two each.
 
In the opening set, the Storm found itself playing games of catch up, falling behind 7-2 out of the gate before reeling off four-straight points, and again when they cut a six-point deficit down to two points at 18-16.
 
OBU would answer by taking three of the next four points and would hold off the Storm to take set one 25-20.
 
In the second set it was SE's turn to jump out early, pushing out to an 8-3 lead on a Rodic kill.
 
The lead would reach five points again at 16-11 following a Grewing kill, but the Bison would answer with a 6-2 run to close to 18-17.
 
The Storm would be the first team to reach 20, but OBU responded by taking seven of the final eight points, including the last six in a row to win the set 25-21 and take a 2-0 lead.
 
 SE again jumped ahead early, reaching an 11-7 lead following a Forson service ace.
 
The Storm held OBU at arm's length until the Bison reeled off five-straight points to take a 17-16 lead.
 
Southeastern would find an answer this time, knotting the match at 18-18 and then trading points two-for-one to win seven of the next 10 rallies, with Seerdyn James putting down the set wining kill at 25-22.
 
The momentum looked to carry into the fourth set early, with Southeastern taking its largest set lead of the day on a Griffith service ace that made the score 13-6.
 
The Bison would respond with a 6-1 run to cut the Storm lead to two.
 
SE answer itself with a 4-1 spurt to take an 18-13 lead on a Grewing kill.
 
OBU would come back firing and use a 7-1 run to take a 22-21 lead.
 
SE would tie the match at 22-22, but the Bison would take three of the final four points to win the set 25-23 and the match 3-1.