Alva Review-Courier -

OKLAHOMA CITY – Northwestern Oklahoma State's volleyball team traveled to Oklahoma Christian for a non-conference match Tuesday evening. Northwestern used a solid third set to take the lead in the match before battling out a tough fifth set and earning a victory 3-2 (25-18, 18-25, 25-15 25-19, 19-17).

The Rangers were led by Kaydee Honeycutt in kills with 25 on the evening for the second-most kills in a match, only behind her 26 kills earlier in the season versus Southwestern. Addison Wimmer was second with 19, followed by Russell with 13. Abby Davis led in assists with 23, followed by Abigail Burns with 22 assists. Tarra Parks led the defense with 35 digs on the night, followed by Maggie Peterson with 14 and Addison Wimmer with 13, giving her a double-double. Austyn Pine and Ravyn Burns are credited with three blocks on the evening.

Set 1

Russell opened the match with the opening kill to put the Rangers on the board early with a 1-0 lead. Oklahoma Christian had six straight points to take a 6-2 lead over the Rangers. Northwestern slowly chipped away at that lead – the Red and Black used four different 2-0 runs to even the score at 14-14 before taking a 15-14 lead and forcing an Eagle timeout.

Oklahoma Christian and Northwestern battled from there with three ties bringing an 18-18 set. However, the Rangers took over the opening set – a kill from Wimmer started a 7-0 run. Abigail Burns' serves led to the run. An Eagle attack error ended the set, which Northwestern won.

The Rangers used a spread-out attack in the opening set with four kills from Wimmer, three from Honeycutt and three from Russell. Parks had four assists, as did Davis. The Rangers' defense benefitted from Parks' eight digs.

Set 2

Northwestern hoped to carry the momentum into Set 2, but the Eagles responded to their opening-set loss by taking the first two points in Set 2 and used that to build an opening 4-1 run. A Wimmer kill started a minor 3-0 Rangers run, bringing the score to 6-5, home team.

Northwestern trailed 10-7 as the set went on. The next six points were traded back and forth by the two teams before the Rangers took charge with three consecutive points and a 4-1 run, bringing the deficit to four at 22-18, forcing an Oklahoma Christian timeout. Out of the timeout, though, the Eagles closed out the set with a 3-0 run, winning Set 2 by 25-22 to even the match.

Set 3

The two teams traded points early on in the third set before Northwestern would take a 4-2 lead on a kill from Honeycutt assisted by A. Burns on the point. Northwestern would go on a 4-0 run to take the lead with some breathing room in the third set behind a kill from Honeycutt and Wimmer. This would be followed by a 6-1 Rangers run to continue to build momentum and forcing a timeout by the Eagles. This would happen on continuous serves from Abigail Burns to continue to push the Rangers out in front, building a double-digit lead. Following a timeout, Parks earned a service ace sparking a 6-1 Rangers run before three straight kills, two from Wimmer and one from Honeycutt sealed the Rangers' Set 3 victory at 25-15 to build a 2-1 match lead.

Set 4

Oklahoma Christian answered with the first two points of Set 4, but Northwestern responded quickly, rattling off the next four points to take a 4-2 lead behind a kill from Honeycutt on serves from Parks, forcing two Eagle errors. Oklahoma Christian and Northwestern were then tied at 6-6.

Northwestern took the next four consecutive points on back-to-back kills from Courtney Russell. With Northwestern continuing to hold their lead at 11-7, the Eagles made their move, coming back to tie the set at 15-15.

The Eagles went on a 4-1 run to open a 19-16 lead, forcing a Northwestern timeout. Out of the Ranger timeout, the two teams traded points before Oklahoma Christian closed out Set 4 with a 25-19 victory to force a fifth set.

Set 5

In the fifth set, a Parks serve started things off for the Rangers, leading to the opening point after an Eagle error. The score was locked at 3 before two more lead changes and ties. The set was even at 5 when the Rangers went on a 5-0 run started by a Russell kill and a Carmae Jone service ace to help give the Rangers a 10-5 lead and forcing Oklahoma Christian's second timeout of the set.

The two teams traded 2-0 runs straight out of the timeout to give the Rangers a 12-7 lead. Oklahoma Christian then went on a 4-0 run to cut the deficit to 1 at 12-11. The two teams continued to battle the match out, locked at 15-15. The teams traded point for point as the match was extended at 15-15.

The Rangers pulled off the victory at 19-17 as Honeycutt had four straight kills for the Rangers before a Wimmer kill, and then an Eagle error ended the match. The Rangers won the match 3-2.

Northwestern will return to conference play today and Saturday, traveling to Arkadelphia to face Henderson State tonight at 6:30 p.m. and Ouachita Baptist Saturday at 1 p.m.