BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Led by Sophie Davis' career-high 19 kills, East Tennessee State University's volleyball team dropped a 3-2 decision to Oklahoma on Friday to open the WKU Invitational at E.A. Diddle Arena.
East Tennessee State (2-8) trailed early in the first set as Oklahoma (7-2) took a 12-8 lead. The Buccaneers managed to tie the set at 17 with an 8-5 run. The two teams traded shots, seeing six more ties in the first set, with the last one being at 23 from a Buccaneer error. Kills by Elizabeth Aylward and Karis Chatfield ended the set with the Bucs taking the 25-23 win.
The second set included back-and-forth action for most of the frame, seeing 10 tied scores. The last tie was at 18 with a kill from Alaeh Tolliver. The Sooners ended the second frame with a 7-2 run to take the second set, 25-20.
The Sooners began the third frame quickly, taking a 5-1 lead to force an ETSU timeout. Five unanswered points by the Bucs, including kills by Makayla Bays and Aylward, two aces from Chatfield, and a Sooner error, tied the set and gave the Bucs a share of the lead. The two teams traded shots, but the Bucs took a 15-11 lead with a kill by Emma MacFerran. A 4-0 run from the Bucs allowed them to lead 21-15. The Sooners would get as close as 24-22, but a kill from Sophie Davis assisted by Bailey Gohlke ended the set with the Buccaneers taking the 25-22 third-set win.
ETSU opened the fourth frame with a 10-2 run, but Oklahoma responded quickly, trailing 11-10. The Bucs built their lead back up to 20-15, but the Sooners ended the set on an 8-1 run to take the 25-23 fourth-frame win.
Oklahoma started the fifth set quickly, taking a 12-6 lead. Two Sooner errors, with a kill by Chloe Smith and Bays, got the Bucs as close as 14-10, but a kill by Elise Hani ended the set with the Sooners taking the 15-10 fifth-set win for the 3-2 match.
The WKU Invitational continues tomorrow with a 1 p.m. match against Western Kentucky.
MATCH POINTS
