DURANT, Okla. – The East Central University volleyball team made a statement Tuesday night in their rivalry matchup against Southeastern Oklahoma State University. In a thrilling five-set showdown at a packed Bloomer Sullivan Gymnasium, the Tigers emerged victorious, securing their first conference win of the season.
 
With the win, ECU improves to 1-1 in conference play and 7-6 overall.
 
"I am really proud of the resilience we showed," Head Coach Danielle Essix said. "It is always tough to play against Southeastern, but even more so on the road. We have been working really hard physically and mentally to get back to who we are and continue to strive to become who we want to be. It truly was a team win. We showed a lot of grit, composure, and passion. It feels really good to capture our first conference win."
 
The Tigers came out strong, claiming set one 25-21 before outlasting a back-and-forth battle in set two by a final score of 26-24 to take a 2-0 lead.
 
Though ECU aimed to sweep, Southeastern rallied with key scoring runs, winning set three and extending the match. The Tigers fought back from a deficit in the fourth to knot the score 23-23, but the Storm edged out the final two points to force a decisive fifth set.
 
In the final set, Southeastern jumped out to a commanding 5-1 lead, putting ECU in a hole. However, an 8-1 scoring run by the Tigers propelled them ahead, igniting all the momentum they would need to finish the job. A final 7-3 push by ECU secured the 15-9 victory, denying Southeastern the chance of a reverse sweep.
 
The Tigers put up big numbers in the match with Ashleigh Miller leading the pack with a career-high 18 kills and an impressive .567 hitting percentage to go along with her five blocks. Emma Strickland recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 14 kills and 15 digs, while Angel Nahinu set a new season-high with 13 kills. Odalys Gonzalez notched her eighth double-double of the season with 10 kills and 15 digs, and Julia Kabala contributed a season-high 53 assists and 14 digs for her fifth double-double. Libero Bailey Kaawa anchored the back row with a career-high 24 digs.
 
The ECU volleyball team will now prepare for their first home game of the season with a matchup against Southwestern Oklahoma State University on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 6 pm.