EDMOND, Okla. - - Midwestern State overcame a sluggish start to defeat Oklahoma Christian at Payne Athletic Center 3-1 (19-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-23). Aaliyah Toppin had 16 kills, a service ace and a block to lead the Mustangs with 17.5 points. Jaiden Wright finished with 12 kills and was in on 5-of-7 blocks for MSU.
Midwestern State (8-8, 4-2) improved its road record to 3-3 and has won back-to-back matches after taking a thrilling five-setter from West Texas A&M at home on Tuesday night.
Wright hit .308 in the victory and has hit .278 or better in each of her last six matches for the Mustangs, who hit .168 as a team. Macy Scheer finished the night with 46 assists, and Jenna Redding had 16 digs in the victory.
Oklahoma Christian (8-8, 2-3) hit .235 in the match but had 11 service errors in a match that saw the two teams separated by one point.
The fourth set featured 13 ties and six lead changes, but the Mustangs closed out the set with a Toppin kill and Giselle Cazares' third ace of the match. Midwestern State improved its attack percentage in each set and finished the fourth set hitting .200 with 11 kills on 30 swings. After Sara Freeman gave the Eagles a 15-12 with an ace, MSU won nine of the next 13 points to take 22-19 lead. OC had five attack errors and four service errors in the set.
In the first set, Midwestern State took an early 5-3 lead, but Oklahoma Christian won 11 of the next 13 points to take a 14-7 lead. The Mustangs were unable to put together an extended run but won 4-of-5 points to narrow the deficit to four at 21-17. Oklahoma Christian won four of the final six points to take the set 25-19. The Eagles hit .355 in the opening set with just two attack errors on 31 swings. The Mustangs matched OC with 13 kills but committed eight errors on 40 swings and hit .125 in the first set. Leah Duncan was in on two of the four blocks for the Eagles.
Midwestern State closed the second set with a TaNia Penn solo block, which was the fourth block of the set for the Mustangs. Jaiden Wright had two kills in a five-point run that put MSU in front, 11-9. The Eagles took an 18-16 lead with a four-point run, highlighted by two Duncan kills. Wright had a kill and a block, followed by a Scheer ace and a Nyle Mathis kill to put the Stangs in front, 22-20. Midwestern State won three of the final four points with blocks to take the set, 25-23. The Eagles cooled off in the second set, hitting just .140, while the Mustangs finished with a .175 attack percentage.
Midwestern State took advantage of OC errors to jump in front 7-3 and never relinquished the lead in the third set to take a 2-1 lead in the match. Cazares hit back-to-back aces after Scheer and Jenna Redding had delivered aces earlier in the set, and the Mustangs went ahead 18-13. Duncan reeled off three consecutive aces for OC to get to within one point of MSU. Kills from Wright and Penn and a block assist from Toppin and Wright pushed the Stangs to a 23-20 lead. Wright and Isabella Dickens closed out the set with kills for the Mustangs, who won the set, 25-22. MSU hit .190 in the set and capitalized on the Eagles five attack errors and five service errors in the set.
Midwestern State renews the Red Rivalry with Cameron on Saturday afternoon. First serve at Aggie Gym is scheduled for 2 p.m.
-- MSUMustangs.com --
