IOUX CITY, Iowa – OCU opened play in the NAIA volleyball championships with a 25-23, 25-18, 25-20 loss to Columbia (Mo.) on Tuesday at the Tyson Events Center.
Xiaoting Ma, a senior from Dalian, China, spearheaded OCU with 17 kills and 18 digs. The 24th-ranked Stars went to 23-12 in their debut in the NAIA volleyball championships. Fifth-ranked Columbia improved to 38-2.
Alex Benbrook and Taylor Rowton each contributed seven kills for OCU. Samantha Ball handed out 19 assists, and Danielle Robison notched 14 assists. Victoria Cross picked up 16 digs.
The Stars continue pool play against eighth-ranked Azusa Pacific (Calif.) at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday in the Tyson Events Center.
OCU has made its first appearance in the NAIA Championships in the program’s fifth year since restarting volleyball. OCU coach Jen Gomez has been there each step of the way, including the Stars’ first Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament championship and trip to the NAIA Championship Opening Round this year.
“It’s been a challenge,” Gomez said. “It’s been rewarding, too. When I first got to OCU, there weren’t volleyball lines drawn on the court. We’ve continually gotten better every year. We have a team of fighters, and that’s a tribute to the kids we have.”
The Stars aim to gain respect in this NAIA Championships showing.
“It’s not good enough to just be here,” Gomez said. “We have to make a name for ourselves. We want to come back here every year.”
Ma contributed five kills as the Stars held a 12-10 first-set edge. OCU led 18-17 after Paula Ferrerira’s attack error, but Columbia answered to take a 21-18 lead after Nicole Murphy’s kill. Serena Jenkins brought Columbia set point at 24-21 on a kill.
Raissa Santos and Ma knocked down kills for OCU to extend the first set. Jenkins had a kill to put away the first set 25-23.
In the second set, Columbia reeled off six points in a row to take a 23-15 advantage. Ferrerira’s kill gave Columbia set point at 24-17, but Alex Benbrook responded with a kill for OCU. Kelly Corkum notched the set-winning kill.
In the third, the Stars recorded three consecutive points to cut their deficit to 20-18. Ma had kills to account for two of those points, and Santos chipped in another kill. Nicole Murphy’s kill provided Columbia match point at 24-19.
Santos pounded down a kill, but Vesna Trivunovic’s kill clinched Columbia’s victory.
“We played great the first set,” Gomez said. “In the second one, we started slow offensively, and we didn’t recover. Our blocking was not very strong.
“The third set, we were point for point, but couldn’t put a run of points together.”
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