Storm Set to Square Off with NWOSU Thursday

Storm Set to Square Off with NWOSU Thursday
 
DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern looks to complete the season sweep against Northwestern Oklahoma State when they head to Alva, Okla., on Thursday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m.
 
SERIES NOTES

• Earlier this season, the Savage Storm got the better of Northwestern Oklahoma State with a 3-0 win at home to make it two victories in a row for the blue and gold. The latest win for SE ties the all-time series 14-14 heading into the 29^th meeting.
• On Thursday, Southeastern will be looking for its first win in Alva since 2021, when they defeated the Rangers 3-2.

 
STORM REPORT
Southeastern picked up a big win on Tuesday night with its rivals East Central making the trip to Bloomer Sullivan Gym. The Storm used the home crowd to propel them to a 3-0 win for their first win over the Tigers since 2020. SE's win moves them to 8-17 overall and 3-10 in the league standings as they continue to battle for a spot at the conference tournament.
 
Alaina Armstrong provided the spark for the blue and gold attack on Tuesday, recording 13 of the team's 34 kills. Armstrong posted her second double-digit kill match this season and ranks seventh on the team in kills with 65 across 32 sets. The team's leader in kills, Noelia Rocha, slammed down eight against the Tigers, as she leads the team with 186 kills and is averaging 2.24 per set.
 
Merrick Hammel posted her third 20-dig match in four matches against ECU, notching 22 in the win. The Cedar Park, Texas native paces the side with 3.58 digs per set and has totaled 197 on the year, while Kylee Turner leads the Storm with 201 digs. Hammel and Turner's efforts see Southeastern rank fourth in the GAC in digs with 17.84 per set and have tallied the eighth-most across the league (1409).
 
SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE
Northwestern Oklahoma State has won two of its last three conference matches but recently suffered a 3-0 road loss to Southern Nazarene. Like the Storm, the Rangers hold a 3-10 GAC record and sit 6-19 overall. The Rangers have picked up a streak of wins recently, having won three straight before Tuesday night.
 
NWOSU has three players averaging two or more kills per set, led by Ece Ozdemir with 2.78 kills per set and 225 total kills. The Rangers enter Thursday averaging 10.0 kills per set as a team and are hitting at a .152 clip. Helping set the tone for the Northwestern attack is setter Mikayla White, who paces the team with 545 assists.