IBETHANY, Okla. – The East Central University volleyball team took on Southern Nazarene University in their final in-state GAC matchup before crossing over to the Arkansas portion of their schedule, defeating the Crimson Storm in four sets, winning 25-16, 25-15, 23-25, 25-19, on Thursday night at Sawyer Center.
 
With the victory, the Tigers improve to 10-6 overall and 4-1 in conference play, extending their winning streak to five games and placing them in second behind Harding University in standings.
 
"Watching this group play is really exciting and rewarding," Head Coach Danielle Essix said. "I am glad we got this win on the road. We worked hard this week to do well the first third of conference play and our goal is to stay focused and continue working hard to improve."

Although this was not their most dominant performance, the Tigers maintained control for majority of the match. They started strong in the first set, initially tied at 9-9 before eventually settling a decisive score of 25-16 for the 1-0 lead.
 
Set two mirrored the first, with the ECU executing an impressive 13-1 scoring run to build a commanding 21-8 lead. SNU managed to rally for five straight points, but the Tigers finished off the set 25-15 for the 2-0 advantage.
 
In the third set, neither team was able to pull away, with the lead fluctuating by no more than three points. Tied at 23-23, SNU capitalized on two kills to take the set and extend the match.
 
Determined to close out the match in four sets, ECU regained their momentum, establishing a seven-point lead at 20-13 for a comfortable lead. SNU tried to catch up, but it was too late as a final kill by Faiana Halatoa secured the 3-1 win.
 
Odalys Gonzalez and Emma Strickland each had double-digit kills in the match, with Gonzalez recording 15 kills and Strickland netting 11. Julia Kabala delivered 39 assists and 15 digs for a double-double performance, and Valentina Tijerina led the back row with 14 digs.
 
The ECU volleyball team hit the road on Tuesday, Oct. 8 for a non-conference match against Texas Woman's University at 6 pm.