The Ouachita Baptist volleyball team dropped a pair of heartbreaking losses Saturday as the Lady Tigers fell to UT-Permian Basin, 3-2, and Southeastern Oklahoma State, 3-2, to conclude the Texas Woman’s Volleyball Tournament at Kitty Magee Arena in Pioneer Hall.
Against UT-Permian Basin, the Ouachita Baptist volleyball team dropped the first game, 25-14, but bounced back to win the second, 25-23. UT-Permian Basin won the third, 25-13, but the Lady Tigers forced a fifth set with a 25-22 victory. The Falcons soared to a 15-4 win in the fifth game to take the match, 3-2.
Anna Ryan paced the Ouachita Baptist (0-8) offense with a season-high 13, while Ryleigh Lay chipped in with nine. Lexie Hegi finished with 35 of the team’s 42 assists. Lauren Stuart led four players in double figures in digs with 29. Ryan added a double-double with 20 digs, while Kaitlyn Mitcham and Hegi, who also had a double-double, finished with 11 and 10 digs, respectively.
In the second contest against Southeastern Oklahoma State, the Lady Tigers fell, 25-12, 24-26, 25-19, 20-25, 15-10.
Mitcham and Libby Merrit led Ouachita Baptist’s offense with 15 and 10 kills, respectively as the Lady Tigers were playing in its third fifth-set match in five series’. Hegi recorded 34 assists, while Settle finished with 21 digs. Stuart and and Misty Gouge added 19 and 13 digs each.
The Lady Tigers return to action Friday, Sept. 12 at the Harding University Volleyball Tournament as Ouachita Baptist takes on Nova Southeastern at 11:00 a.m., and Texas A&M-Commerce at 2:30 p.m.
