SE Opens GAC Play with 3-2 win Over Rangers

Box Score ALVA, Okla. – Skylor Lewis paced a trio of Southeastern players with double-digit kills en route to a 3-2 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State on Tuesday night in the team's Great American Conference opener in Alva, Okla.
 
The win lifted the Savage Storm to 3-4 overall on the year and 1-0 in GAC play heading into a non-conference matchup with Cameron at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 15 in Lawton, Okla.
 
Lewis put together 16 kills to match the match-high for all attackers, while Jessie Steele was on her heels with 15 kills and Mya Afflerbach hit the double-digit mark with 10 kills.
 
Ruthie Forson dished out a match-best 45 assists to trigger the offense and also contributed two kills and a service ace on offense with eight digs and a solo block on defense.
 
Grace Shehadeh would pace the defense with 27 digs to best all defenders on the back row, while McKenzie Turkoly added 16 digs and Lewis completed a double-double with 10 digs.
 
Turkoly also led the defense at the net with two solo blocks and three blocks total.
 
Southeastern got off to a tough start as NWOSU would reel off a huge first-set run to hand the Storm a 25-8 loss in the first set.
 
SE would shake off the shock of that opening set with a 25-18 win in set two and then capitalized on that momentum with a 25-16 win in the third wet to take a 2-1 lead.
 
The Rangers answered with a 25-22 win in the fourth set to extend the match to a deciding frame.
 
In that final set SE would jump out early and pull away for a 15-9 win in the fifth set to clinch a 3-2 victory.