For the first time in more two years and playing front of a standing room only crowd at the Sturgis Center, the Ouachita Baptist volleyball team picked up a 3-1 victory against rival Henderson State to earn its first Gulf South Conference West Division match of the season Thursday night.
Coming into the contest, Ouachita (4-15 overall, 1-3 GSC West) had yet to win a conference match in three tries, but that changed in front of a home crowd.
Despite dropping the first 25-21, the Lady Tigers responded with wins of 25-21, 25-20, 25-22 to get the victory.
Libby Merritt led three Ouachita players in double-digit kills with 19, while hitting .385. Meredith Henry and Kaitlyn Mitcham each added 10. Lexie Hegi had a match-high 42 kills. Defensively, Raichel Settle finished with 23 of the team’s 51 digs, while Lauren Stuart chipped in with 13.
Quen Banks led Henderson State (2-12, 1-2) with 24 kills, while Tiffany Gunn and Tania Liufau had 11 and 10, respectively. Tagato Fo’a led the Lady Reddies with 43 assists. Bethany Wright, the two-time Gulf South Conference West Division Defensive Player of the Week, had 19 digs.
The last time Ouachita beat rival Henderson State was Sept. 28, 2006 with a 3-0 victory at the Sturgis Center.
The Lady Tigers play host 6:00 p.m., Friday, Oct. 3 to Texas A&M-Commerce at the Sturgis Center before ending the weekend 10 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 4 at home against Southwestern Oklahoma State.
