In a competitive, back-and-forth affair, the Lady Eagles staved off McPherson on Saturday night at home. The Bulldogs, who were previously 6-0 in the KCAC, could not overcome the feisty and focused Eagles. Early in the third set, senior Nicole Bott hit a personal milestone, recording her 1,000^th career assist as a member of the Eagles. The Lady Eagles locked in, clinching that third set to take a 2-1 lead before winning the decisive 5^th set by a 15-8 margin.

Recap:

• OKWU won a tightly-contested 1^st set by a 25-23 margin. Addie Mathias and Katelyn Mask led the way with 5 kills each, while Nicole Bott and Mathias combined for 12 assists in the frame.
• McPherson battled back in the second, winning it by a 25-23 score to knot things up after two.
• After honoring Bott's 1,000^th career assist, the Lady Eagles took the 3^rd set 25-18.
• McPherson showed why it had been so difficult to beat when it took the 4^th set in a convincing 25-17 victory.
• But in the 5^th set, the determined Eagles proved too tough. They never trailed and eventually finished off McPherson 15-8.

Now the Numbers:

• All told, the match featured 18 tie scores and 7 lead changes, including 7 ties in the first set.
• For OKWU, Nicole Bott reached her milestone and kept adding to it, garnering a total of 29 assists on the night.
• Addie Mathias continues to prove herself as a multi-purpose player, earning 18 kills and 20 assists on the night and adding 2 block-assists for good measure.
• Lauren McKinney, the team's leader in kills, overcame a bit of a slow start to end the night with 17 kills of her own.
• OKWU's deep bench proved a difference maker in the match. Katelyn Mask added some extra punch, contributing 10 kills, and Makaila Keith added 7 of her own.
• For McPherson, Cynarah Rodriguez piled up 46 of her team's 49 assists on the evening.

Up Next:

• OKWU has a few days to catch its breath. They will be home on October 20^th for a date with Bethany. The OKWU seniors will be honored before the match.