Pioneer Volleyball comeback falls just short against College of the Ozarks

Plainview – The Pioneers nearly pulled off an incredible comeback Saturday afternoon against the College of the Ozarks, but ultimately dropped the decisive fifth set to the Lady Bobcats to fall short, 2-3.
 
Wayland Baptist (6-6, 6-3 SAC) opened the match with a quick 5-2 lead after senior Alyssa Vasquez scored two kills and a service ace, Later in the set, Vasquez followed a Selma Sutaj kill with one of her own to give the Pioneers a 17-14 lead over the Lady Bobcats midway through the opening set. The Pioneers had a 19-16 advantage, but the Lady Bobcats rattled off a 5-0 scoring run to take a 21-19 lead. College of the Ozarks would take the opening set from the Pioneers, 25-22.
 
The Pioneers let the tough stretch to end the first set carry over into the beginning of the second set as they quickly fell behind 8-1 to the Lady Bobcats. Wayland Baptist gradually chipped away at the Lady Bobcat lead as they set continued, and thanks to a spree of Lady Bobcat errors, the Pioneers were able to claw back and tie the set at 15. However, the Pioneers didn't score another point to end the second set and fell to College of the Ozarks, 25-15, to trail 2-0 in the match.
 
The third set began with a back and forth battle, but the Pioneers were able to push ahead 10-7 after a Sutaj ace and a Vasquez kill. The Lady Bobcats battled back and eventually the set was tied up at 17 each, but the Pioneers manufactured some energy and took a 20-17 lead late. The Pioneers won set three 25-22, but still trailed the Lady Bobcats in the match, 1-2.
 
Midway through the fourth set, College of the Ozarks held a 12-10 lead over the Pioneers, but a quick 5-0 scoring run jolted the Wayland Baptist in front, 15-12. The rest of the fourth set belonged to the Pioneers as they scored five kills over their final ten points, including three of those being by Sutaj, to win 25-21 and force a decisive fifth set.
 
College of the Ozarks quickly extinguished the Pioneer's momentum heading into the fifth set by taking an 8-3 lead, putting the Pioneers backs against the walls. The Pioneers would cut their deficit to four points, 12-8, but they were unable to complete the comeback as College of the Ozarks secured the decisive fifth set to win the match, 3-2
 
Sutaj finished the contest with a team-high 20 kills, a .236 hitting percentage, 17 digs and a service ace. Fade Ogunbade added ten kills, four solo blocks and a block assist. Vasquez had nine kills and a service ace.
 
The Pioneers will look to get back on track next weekend as they go on the road for a tough Sooner Athletic Conference matchup against Mid-America Christian (Okla.) Friday, October 4^th. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM.