Box Score ARKADELPHIA, ARK. – The East Central University volleyball team started strong against Ouachita Baptist, but ended up falling 2-3 (25-22, 25-21, 21-25, 16-25, 6-15) on the road in Great American Conference action.
The Tigers (3-20, 0-10 GAC) were led by junior
Sarah Simpson and freshman
Madyson Gill, who each tallied their seventh double-doubles of the year. Simpson garnered 14 kills and 18 digs, while Gill added 10 kills, 27 digs and four (1-3) total blocks. Junior
Hayley Gerken added 11 kills and a team-best .212 (11k-4e-33ta) hitting percentage, two digs and five (1-4) blocks.
The opening set saw the first six served traded before OBU used a 3-0 run to take a 3-6 advantage. Ouachita Baptist added another 3-0 run a few serves later to increase the lead to four (6-10). However, ECU didn't give up and used a 4-0 run to take an 11-10 advantage. The teams then traded serves with ties from 11 to 18 points and traded small runs to end up tied at 21 and 22. That is when ECU buckled down and used a 3-0 run to claim the 25-22 win.
The second set was a battle back-and-forth again, with five tie scores. The score was knotted at 15 when ECU used a 5-0 run to take control for good (20-15). OBU kept pushing and used three small runs to keep the score within two points, but ECU earned a kill from Simpson to end the set with a 25-21 win.
The third set saw both teams use small and large runs to toggle the scoreboard in their favor throughout the set, with six ties and five lead changes. The final tie came at 20-all when OBU used a 6-1 run to earn a 21-25 win.
Ouachita Baptist took an early 1-4 advantage in the fourth set and never let ECU get closer than two points the rest of the set on the way to a 16-25 win to force the fifth-and-deciding set.
Set five started out slow for ECU, as they fell behind 1-9 and despite two small runs were unable to recover and fell 6-15.
The Tigers will travel across the street to face Henderson State, Saturday, Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. before returning home to host Southwestern Oklahoma State, Tuesday, Oct. 21 for the annual Pink Out match
