Tigers secure postseason spot despite loss to OBU
· Yahoo Sports
The East Central University volleyball team may have closed the regular season with a loss Thursday night, but the Tigers still have more volleyball to play.
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ECU secured the eighth and final berth in next week’s Great American Conference Championship Tournament despite falling 3-1 to top-ranked Oklahoma Baptist in Shawnee.
The Tigers (11-18 overall, 6-10 GAC) will get another shot at the Bisons in a quarterfinal matchup at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Stride Bank Center in Enid. Oklahoma Baptist (23-5, 15-1) claimed the top seed after winning the regular-season conference title.
The Tigers showed plenty of fight against the Bisons, taking the second set to even the match at one before Oklahoma Baptist closed out the victory with wins in the final two sets.
OBU claimed the opening set 25-20 before ECU answered with a 25-18 decision in the second. The Bisons regained control with a 25-18 third-set victory and finished the match with a 25-16 win in the fourth.
East Central collected 45 kills and held an advantage in digs, 98-84, but Oklahoma Baptist finished with 50 kills and 10 blocks.
Addison Iman paced the Tigers with 14 kills and 16 digs for a double-double. Jaylani Evans added a career-high 12 kills and 14 digs to record her first career double-double.
Emily Pena also posted a double-double with 24 assists and 25 digs, while Breana Timms turned in a career-best defensive performance with 26 digs.
Faiana Halatoa contributed four kills and four blocks, including one solo block, while Seran Eran and Lana Wright added six kills apiece.
Oklahoma Baptist’s Rylee Unruh led all players with 19 kills and 13 digs.
The quarterfinal matchup will mark the third meeting between the teams this season. Oklahoma Baptist won both regular-season encounters, including Thursday’s four-set decision.
Note: East Central Coordinator of Athletic Operations and Outreach Sydney Dungen contributed to this report.