WEATHERFORD, Okla. – Ranger Volleyball was back in action Tuesday evening as they traveled to Southwestern to continue conference play. The Rangers opened with a 2-0 match lead but Southwestern came back to win the match 3-2.

The Rangers were led by senior Kaydee Honeycutt with 29 kills in the match followed by Addison Wimmer with 20. Wimmer finished the evening with a double-double with 20 kills and 14 digs. Tarra Parks led the Rangers with 22 digs on the night followed by Wimmer. Abigail Burns led the Rangers in assists with 26 followed by Abby Davis with 20.

Set 1

The Rangers opened the match with three of the first four points of the game to open a 3-1 lead behind two Honeycutt kills and a Southwestern attack error. The Rangers used a 6-0 run in the opening set to gain control of the opening set to continue and build momentum from the run. The teams traded the next four points before another run by the Rangers, this time 5-0. The Rangers ended the set on a 6-2 run with back-to-back kills by Honeycutt for the Rangers. Those were two of her 29 kills. Northwestern controlled the opening set with a 25-19 victory over the Bulldogs.

Set 2

Southwestern jumped out quickly in the second set trying to answer back to even the match. The Bulldogs opened with four of the first five points of the half. However, the Rangers would ride to a 5-0 run to take their first lead of the second set behind two Honeycutt kills and a Wimmer kill. The two teams then swappped 2-0 runs multiple times with the Rangers holding the one point lead. Honeycutt had 11 kills in Set 2 to help lead the Rangers to another set victory, this time 25-18 to take a 2-0 match lead.

Set 3

With the Bulldogs looking to avoid the sweep, they came out firing with three straight points to take a 3-2 lead through the first five points. They continued to be aggressive, scoring four of the next five points of the night. The Rangers tried to come back in Set 3 with four kills from four different players in Honeycutt, Maddison Dehlinger, Ravyn Burns and Wimmer. Southwestern used two 4-0 runs for an 8-2 run to take control of the set before going on to win 25-19 in Set 3 forcing a fourth set.

Set 4

In Set 4 both teams started strong, trading point for point locked in at 4-4 behind a kill from Honeycutt and Dehlinger. Rangers went on a 4-0 run behind three straight serves from Davis including one service ace. Southwestern used their timeout to regain control of the set sparking an 8-1 run right out of the break to take the lead. Rangers used a 3-0 run to try and climb back in the set but ultimately the Bulldogs closed the set with back-to-back kills to even the match at 2-2 and force a fifth set.

Set 5

The Rangers were looking to end the Southwestern comeback in the fifth set with the two teams battling, trading point for point, as the decisive fifth set was tied at 3-3 before Southwestern went on a small burst. Three straight kills from the home team pushed Southwestern out in front, 6-3; the Bulldogs would not lose the rest of the match. The Rangers' comeback try followed a 4-1 run to bring their deficit down to two points, trailing 10-8, forcing a SWOSU timeout. Out of the Southwestern timeout the Rangers got two kills from Honeycutt, but Southwestern closed the match on a 5-2 run out of the break, giving the Bulldogs the 3-2 match win and a 15-10 set win to close out the Tuesday match.

Northwestern will take on East Central in Ada on this evening, Oct. 1, as they continue their road trip for the next four matches. The match tonight begins at 6 p.m.