SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Despite winning the third set and holding a 16-11 advantage in the fourth set, the 18th-ranked Embry-Riddle volleyball team couldn't complete the comeback against seventh-ranked Oklahoma Baptist on Tuesday night, falling in four sets (25-21, 25-22, 22-25, 25-20). The match was the first pool play match for both teams at the NAIA National Championship presented by J&L Enterprises and CNOS Foundation, held at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
The Eagles fell to 22-10 while the Bison improved to 33-5.
Taylor Ruiz led the Eagles with a match-high 17 kills while
Jennifer Beatty added 13 kills and 11 digs to notch a double-double.
Morgan Shattuck added a match-high 10 blocks (1 solo) and seven kills while
Caitlyn Ballard picked up 11 digs.
Hannah Gray led all players with 38 digs and
Tamires Ferreira tallied a match-best 42 assists to go along with 14 digs.
Kristin Pressley led the Bison with a match-high 17 kills and added 22 digs and four blocks (1 solo). Alexandra Rokas added 13 kills while Lacey Herbert chipped in with 10. Kaitlyn Lucy picked up 22 digs while Valerie Stetzer collected 12. Aysegul Guney (23 assists, 5 digs) and Rachel Aguilar (22 assists, 7 digs) shared the setting duties for OBU.
The Bison used a 6-0 run midway through the first set to establish an 18-12 lead that proved to be insurmountable. ERAU pulled to within three (22-19) before Oklahoma Baptist finished off the set with a 25-21 win.
Set two was more tightly contested, with OBU once again using a quick spurt, this time 5-0, to take 21-16 lead. The Blue and Gold cut the deficit to 23-21 but couldn't draw any closer, falling in the frame, 25-22.
Trailing 2-0, the Eagles came out and took control of set three right away, jumping ahead 5-1. A block by Shattuck and
Erika Hinel made it 13-9 and a kill by Shattuck pushed the lead to 20-15. The Bison fought back to tie the set at 21-21, but Embry-Riddle rallied with a 4-1 run to take the set, 25-22.
ERAU got off to a strong start in set four as well, taking a 6-2 lead early on. A block by Shattuck and Beatty put the Eagles ahead, 14-9, and a block from Ruiz made it 16-10. From that point, OBU rediscovered its offense, going on an 8-1 run to take the lead, 18-17. A kill by Guney pushed the Bison ahead, 23-19, and it was Guney who finished the match with another kill, giving OBU a 25-20 win in the set and a 3-1 win in the match.
Embry-Riddle will take on No. 6 Midland (Neb.) tomorrow (Dec. 4) at 6:45 p.m. EST on day two of pool play. The Warriors, who are the top seed in Pool F, lost to No. 20 Grand View (Iowa) earlier Tuesday, 3-1 (25-16, 15-25, 25-16, 25-18). Live stats and live video will be available at naia.org.
