EDMOND, Okla. – The East Central University volleyball team competed at the GAC/MIAA Crossover in Edmond, Okla., hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma, facing three opponents across Thursday and Friday. The Tigers opened the tournament against Pittsburg State University on Thursday before taking on Emporia State University and tournament host Central Oklahoma on Friday. ECU ultimately fell in all three matches and moved to 4-8 overall on the season.
ECU will now regroup before returning to Great American Conference play, traveling to Durant to take on rival Southeastern Oklahoma State University on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
ECU vs. Pittsburg State
ECU opened the crossover with a competitive straight-set battle against Pittsburg State, falling 25-22, 25-16, 29-27.
The Tigers battled with the Gorillas throughout the opening set, trading points before Pittsburg State pulled away late to take the 25-22 victory. ECU faced an early deficit in the second set and was unable to overcome it, falling 25-16.
The third set provided the closest battle of the match, with ECU fighting to extend the contest. The Tigers and Gorillas traded points late, with ECU holding set point on three occasions. Pitt State fought off each opportunity before ultimately edging the Tigers 29-27 to complete the sweep.
ECU finished the match with 38 kills while hitting .235 as a team, along with five aces, five blocks and 34 digs. Pittsburg State recorded 48 kills and hit .317 while finishing with four aces, seven blocks and 38 digs.
Jada Faulkner led the Tigers offensively with seven kills while hitting an impressive .545, while
Allie Rushing and
Addison Iman each added six kills.
Seran Eran contributed five kills, while
Tatum Flemming paced the offense with 20 assists and added two aces.
Gabriela Etter led ECU defensively with 12 digs, while
Lana Wright added three blocks and two aces.
ECU vs. Emporia State
ECU returned to the court Friday against Emporia State, falling to the Hornets in another straight-set battle, 25-15, 25-16, 29-27.
Emporia State controlled the opening two sets, but the Tigers battled back in the third, posting their strongest offensive performance of the match. ECU recorded 17 kills while hitting .222 in the frame and pushed the set beyond 25 points before the Hornets ultimately secured the 29-27 victory.
For the match, ECU recorded 33 kills while adding seven blocks and 57 digs. Emporia State finished with 42 kills, nine blocks and 59 digs.
Peyton Spahn led the Tigers offensively with 10 kills, while
Isabel Gabbert added eight kills and three blocks.
Lana Wright contributed four kills and two blocks, while
Tatum Flemming paced the offense with 14 assists and added seven digs.
Gabriela Etter anchored the defensive effort with a team-high 19 digs, while
Emily Pena added nine digs and nine assists.
ECU vs. Central Oklahoma
The Tigers closed out the crossover Friday against tournament host Central Oklahoma, falling 3-1 by scores of 21-25, 19-25, 25-22, 22-25.
ECU battled throughout the opening two sets before the Bronchos took a 2-0 lead. The Tigers responded in the third set, using their strongest offensive effort of the match to extend the contest. ECU recorded 18 kills in the frame while hitting .212, taking the set 25-22.
The fourth set remained competitive, with Central Oklahoma holding a 22-16 advantage late before ECU responded with six straight points to even the score at 22-22. However, the Bronchos answered with two kills and capitalized on a Tiger attack error to close out the 25-22 victory and secure the match.
Despite the loss, ECU finished with advantages in several statistical categories, recording 51 kills to Central Oklahoma's 48, along with 50 assists and 92 digs compared to the Bronchos' 44 assists and 84 digs. The Tigers also recorded eight aces and four blocks.
Peyton Spahn led the Tigers offensively with 15 kills, while
Kensington White added eight kills without committing an attack error, hitting an impressive .400.
Isabel Gabbert contributed nine kills while hitting .304, while
Lana Wright added six kills and two aces.
Emily Pena and
Tatum Flemming each recorded 20 assists, with Pena adding 16 digs and Flemming contributing 10 to record double-doubles.
Gabriela Etter anchored the defensive effort with a team-high 23 digs, while
Breana Timms contributed 11 digs and two aces.
