WEATHERFORD, OKLA. – The East Central University volleyball team battled all the way through a marathon five-set match, but fell to Southwestern Oklahoma State 2-3 (22-25, 16-25, 28-26, 25-20, 13-15) in Great American Conference action.

The Lady Tigers (1-10, 0-2 GAC) were led by junior Hayley Gerken, who garnered 18 kills, two service aces and five digs.  Fellow junior Sarah Simpson added her fourth double-double of the season with 11 kills and 15 digs, while sophomore Madison Seiler added her fourth double-double of the year with 44 assists and 11 digs.

ECU started the match on the right track, gaining a 5-1 advantage.  However, the Bulldogs (3-4, 2-0 GAC) battled back to tie the set at five.  The teams traded the next six serves before SWOSU took a 7-10 advantage.  The battled continued and the Lady Tigers used a 4-0 run to take a 12-11 lead. The advantage was short lived, as the Bulldogs used an 8-3 run to take a 15-20 lead.  ECU pushed back and tied the set at 21, with a 6-1 run, but could not get any closer and fell 22-25.

SWOSU took an early 1-6 advantage in the second set and despite a 6-1 run that got the Lady Tigers within two (8-10), ECU was not about to gain any momentum and lost 16-25.

The third set saw ECU fall behind 3-6, but the Lady Tigers regrouped and tied the set at six and then used a 5-1 run to push ahead 11-7.  The Bulldogs got within one (11-10) before both teams traded serves until late in the set.  With the scoreboard reading 22-20 ECU started a 2-0 run that gave them a 24-20 advantage.  SWOSU wasn't ready to quit fighting and used a 4-0 run to tie the set at 24.  The score toggled back-and-forth until a 26-all tie.  ECU then got a kill from freshman Mackenzie Davis and took advantage of a Bulldog error to earn the 28-26 win.

The Lady Tigers took the momentum they had gained in set three into set four and jumped out to an 8-1 lead.  SWOSU used several small runs through the set to get within two (19-17), but ECU kept pushing forward and claimed a 25-20 win to force a fifth set.

The fifth set reflected the match as a whole, with 10 tie scores and seven lead changes before a winner was decided.  SWOSU took the first lead of the set, 6-8, with a 3-0 lead, but ECU countered with its own 3-0 run to go up 10-9.  The set was quickly tied again and the teams traded the next seven serves to knot the set at 13.  However, it was the Bulldogs who earned the next two points and took the match with a 13-15 set-five victory.

The Lady Tigers will remain on the road for their next match, as they travel to Alva, Okla., for a Thursday, Sept. 18 match against Northwestern Oklahoma State at 6 p.m.  ECU will wrap up the week at St. Gregory's, Saturday, Sept. 20.