THE RUNDOWN
STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Redshirt freshman Addy Cook notched a double-double with a 20-kill outburst as Midwestern State and first year coach Valerie Armstrong picked up their first win of the season, upsetting 16^th-ranked Central Oklahoma in a five-set thriller.
 
The upset by the Mustangs was MSU Texas' first win over a ranked opponent since the 2011 team swept 20^th-ranked Truman in the season opener on Sept. 2.
 
Along with Cook's 20 kills, freshman Lauren Honeycutt and sophomore Raven Presley notched 10 kills apiece, but the duos biggest contribution came on the final play of the match. Up 16-15 in the fifth set, UCO's Haley Deschenes lined up her shot to tie the match. Presley and Honeycutt tag-teamed a block to give MSU its biggest win in the last seven years.
 
MSU Texas sophomore setters Sarah Glawe (27) and Julia Nelson (21) each posted 20+ assist afternoons in the nightcap. Junior Sarah Eakin had a career performance anchoring the defense with three solo blocks and five total to go along with six kills.
 
Neither side was able to gain a distinctive edge in the fifth set. Down 13-12, the Mustangs got two kills from Cook and one from Honeycutt before the colossal rejection clinched the contest.
 
UCO All-American Taylor Bevis matched Cook with 20 kills to lead the Bronchos.
 
MATCH ONE – OBU 3, MSU TEXAS 0
The Mustangs committed 46 errors in its season-opening match with Oklahoma Baptist, including 11 service errors en-route to a 3-0 (17-25, 17-25, 17-25) setback to the Lady Bison.
 
Redshirt freshman Addy Cook and junior Erin Richburg led MSU Texas with eight and seven kills, respectively. Sophomore setters Julia Nelson and Sarah Glawe each dished out 11 assists, but the Maroon and Gold hit just .074 as a team. Defensively, sophomore Jaycie Fuller recorded a team-high eight digs.
 
OBU's Malia Leatherland led all players with 11 kills while teammate Mikayla Watson flirted with double-digits at nine kills. Collectively, the Lady Bison hit .253 for the match to stymie the Mustangs.
 
An early 7-0 run by the Lady Bison proved to be the difference maker in giving OBU a 1-0 lead in the match. Tied 3-3 early, three ball-handling errors by and two aces from Rachel Richie allowed the Lady Bison to storm ahead and set the tempo for the match. Richburg produced her best set of the morning session, logging five kills and a .333 hitting percentage in the opening frame.
 
The Lady Bison continued rolling into the second set, building a commanding 11-3 advantage. The Mustangs battled back, closing the gap to four (18-14) on an ace from Cook, but were unable to chip away further. Cook and sophomore Raven Presley combined for six of MSU Texas' nine kills in the set with three apiece.
 
After both sides exchanged the first six points of the third set, another run by the Lady Bison essentially put the match out of reach, claiming an 11-4 edge.
 
MATCH ONE NOTES
- MSU Texas began the Valerie Armstrong era with a 3-0 (17-25, 17-25, 17-25) setback to Oklahoma Baptist
- OBU held a decisive edge in hitting percentage, outslugging the Mustangs .253 to .074
- Redshirt freshman Addy Cook led the Mustangs with eight kills, followed closely by junior Erin Richburg with seven
 
MATCH TWO NOTES
- Midwestern State earned its first victory over a ranked team since defeating 20^th-ranked Truman on Sept. 2, 2011
- MSU Texas built a 2-0 lead with strong offensive play, hitting better than .225 in each of its first two sets before cooling off in the third and fourth
- Statistically, UCO led the Mustangs in every category but the scoreboard: Kills (59-55), Errors (23-31), Hitting Pct. (.259-.160), Assists (54-51), Blocks (12.0-11.0) and Points (78.0-73.0)
- Redshirt freshman Addy Cook picked up her first career double-double with a career-high 15 digs and 20 kills, coming one kill shy of her career high
- Junior Sarah Eakin had a career-night, posting three solo blocks and two block assists
- Sophomore Raven Presley and freshman Lauren Honeycutt each tallied 10 kills
 
UP NEXT
MSU Texas is back in action tomorrow at the Tarleton Invitational against Black Hills State and Harding. First serve is set for 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.