SHAWNEE, OKLA. – The East Central University volleyball team came out on top in a back-and-forth battle with St. Gregory's 3-2 (25-15, 25-23, 25-27, 19-25, 15-4) in non-conference action.

The Tigers (2-11, 0-3 GAC) had three players earn their fifth double-doubles of the season, with freshman Madyson Gill earning 14 kills and 20 digs.  Junior Sarah Simpson added a team-high 16 kills and 11 digs, while sophomore Madison Seiler garnered 38 assists and 12 digs.

One of the bigger highlights of the match is a .812 (13k-0e-16ta) hitting percentage and adding four (1-3) blocks.

"We took care of business at the end of the match today and it was good to see their hard work pay off," said head coach Dave Thorn.  "We need to continue to keep improving and get ready for our next match Tuesday."

ECU came out strong in the first set, taking a 3-0 lead out of the gates.  The Tigers kept pushing throughout the set and never let the lead dip below two points on the way to a 25-15 win.

The second set a battle early with several ties and lead changes.  After a nine-all tie, ECU push ahead with a 7-2 run and had pushed the advantage to six (21-15) before the Cavaliers (5-9) started to push back.  SGU then used a 5-2 run to cut the deficit to one (24-23) with an 8-3 run.  But the Tigers were able to fight to win the final two points for the 25-23 win.

The third set saw the Cavaliers take an early 2-5 advantage, but ECU was able to tie the set at eight.  The Tigers then used a 5-1 run to lead 13-10.  However, SGU countered with a 5-1 run of its own and took the lead, 14-15.  The teams traded points and runs through the rest of the set and forced the set into extra points before the Cavaliers earned the 25-27 win.

Set four again saw an early 2-7 SGU lead, but a 7-0 run gave ECU a 9-7 advantage.  The teams continued to battle through a tie at 15 when the Cavaliers used a 3-0 run to take the needed advantage and pushed through to a 19-25 win to force a fifth set.

That is when the Tigers decided to take control.  After allowing SGU to gain the first point of the set, ECU rattled off eight-straight points for an 8-1 lead.  The Tigers kept the momentum in their favor and earned a clear 15-4 set and match win.

ECU will return home for the first time in over a week when they host Bacone College, Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Kerr Activities Center.