Road Stretch Continues for the Storm at Oklahoma Baptist

DURANT, Okla. – After a trip to the Natural State last week, Southeastern remains on the road at Oklahoma Baptist to begin the final stretch of GAC play. First serve between the Savage Storm and Bison is set for 7 p.m. in the Noble Complex on Thursday, October 30.
 
SERIES NOTE

• Southeastern and Oklahoma Baptist have already met once this season, with the Bison earning a 3-0 win in Durant. The win for OKBU gives them a 20-3 edge in the all-time series dating back to 2009.
• The last time the blue and gold were in Shawnee (2024), Southeastern won a five-set thriller over the Bison, marking the first win for SE over OKBU since 2016, which also came in the Noble Complex.

 
STORM REPORT
Southeastern (7-16, 2-9 GAC) enters Thursday looking to get back to winning ways after five straight defeats following back-to-back 3-1 losses to Arkansas Tech and Harding. Hitting the final stretch of conference play, SE is 2-9 in the league standings, which puts them 10^th in the standings. Three teams have already locked in their spots at the GAC Tournament this year with five matches remaining: Ouachita Baptist, Harding and Arkansas Tech.
 
Merrick Hammel slotted into the libero role against ATU and HU last week and had back-to-back matches with 20 digs, including a season-high 32 versus Harding. The freshman from Cedar Park, Texas, has recorded four straight matches with double-figure digs and is averaging 5.71 per set during this stretch. On the year, Hammel ranks fourth on the team with 164 digs and is seeing 3.35 per frame.
 
At the net, Alexis Williams had another big week defensively, registering 8.0 total blocks. Highlighting the week, Williams saw 6.0 total blocks against Harding to match her season-high set earlier this year versus Oklahoma Baptist. The Lawton, Okla. native, ranks ninth in blocks across the GAC with 0.87 per set for 60.0 total denials.
 
Williams and Jaedyn Newman led the SE attack over last week, combining for 31 kills, including ten kills from Newman at Harding. Newman's ten against the Lady Bisons marked a new season-high and brought her to 69 kills on the year, averaging 1.47 per set. Williams ranks fourth on the team in kills with 136 and is attacking at a .284 clip with 1.97 kills per set.
 
SCOUTING OKLAHOMA BAPTIST
Oklahoma Baptist returns home with split results from its trip to Arkadelphia most recently, with a 3-1 win over Henderson State and a 3-2 defeat to Ouachita Baptist. The loss to the Tigers marks just the third defeat in conference play for the Bison this season, as they hold an 8-3 GAC mark and are 16-7 overall. The Bison have been perfect at home in league contests with four wins and no defeats, and are 5-2 overall under their home lights.
 
Leading the charge for the Bison attack is Rylee Unruh, who is averaging 3.12 kills per set and is one of two members on the team with 200 kills this season (243). Providing a one-two punch with Unruh is Allie Striker, with 222 kills this season, and she is averaging 2.81 per set. Defensively, the Bison are led by Mackenzie Frazee, who ranks third in the GAC in blocks with 1.11 per set for 88.0 total blocks, and leads the league in solo blocks with 40.

HOW TO WATCH
Oklahoma Baptist is partnered with Hudl TV for its live-streaming services. Fans looking to watch can visit https://team1sports.com/obubison/ and purchase single-day pass for $10. For additional information, fans can visit this LINK.