BETHANY, Okla. – The East Central University volleyball team wrapped up its final road match of the regular season on Tuesday night, falling 3-1 (21-25, 25-11, 16-25, 21-25) to Southern Nazarene University inside the Sawyer Center.
 
With postseason hopes still alive, the Tigers will look to secure a spot in the Great American Conference Volleyball Championships when they return home to Ada on Thursday for Senior Night against Oklahoma Baptist University.
 
The match proved to be a back-and-forth battle, as momentum swung between the two teams throughout the night. ECU battled closely in the opening set but came up just short, 25-21 before clawing their way back back in dominant fashion in set two, storming past SNU 25-11 behind a commanding 12-1 scoring run.
 
Set three, however, belonged to the Crimson Storm, who capitalized on ECU miscues and built an early lead they would not relinquish. SNU surged ahead 20-12 and closed out the frame 25-16 to regain control of the match.
 
In the fourth and final set, ECU came out strong, jumping to a 7-3 advantage thanks to four early kills from Jayla Buford. But the Crimson Storm responded with a run of their own, taking a 14-11 lead. Despite the Tigers tying the score twice late in the set, SNU held firm, using a late push capped by a kill and an ace to seal the 25-21 victory.
 
Buford led the offensive effort with 13 kills and nine digs, while Peyton Spahn added nine kills and Faiana Halatoa chipped in eight. Emily Pena recorded a double-double with 36 assists and 12 digs, and Valentina Tijerina anchored the back row with 13 digs.