BETHANY, Okla. - The Griffon volleyball team (8-2) kicked off the SNU/UCO Invite with wins over Southwestern Oklahoma State (3-5) and Oklahoma Baptist (5-7), including a remarkable 25-1 set victory over the Bison.
 
Missouri Western started the day with a 3-1 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma (3-5) to secure its best start since 2015. They ended the day with exceptional set wins of 25-8 and 25-1 against Oklahoma Baptist (5-7), ultimately taking the match 3-1.
 
MATCH 1: MWSU 3, SWOSU 1
Missouri Western opened its final invitational of the season with a 3-1 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State with set scores of 25-20, 25-27, 25-21 and 25-19.
 
The Griffons got off to a fast start in the opening set with an early 7-1 run and never surrendered their lead. They led by as many as nine points and halted a late comeback bid from SWOSU to claim the set, 25-20.
 
The Bulldogs controlled the court early in the second set, leading by as many as nine and reaching 20 with a five-point advantage. MWSU did not go away quietly after tying the match at 24-24 with a 4-0 run to force extra points. However, back-to-back kills from Lacy Mott helped propel SWOSU to the 27-25 final.
 
MWSU initially had the upper hand in the third, setting the tone with a 9-0 run. Southwestern narrowed the Western lead to three with a 4-0 run, prompting the Griffs to call a timeout to regroup. Taylor Russell sealed the set with a big kill, securing a 25-21 victory.
 
The fourth and final set included four tied scores and one lead change. Following a timeout by Missouri Western after Southwestern Oklahoma cut the deficit to only two at 15-13, the Griffons flipped the switch down the stretch to claim the match with a 25-19 set victory.
 
Freshman Noelle Sutcliffe had a breakout match for the Griffons. The Norwalk, Iowa native finished with a match-leading and season-high 15 kills. Russell tabbed the second-most kills on the team with 11.
 
Nessa Johnson collected her third double-double of the season, finishing the match with 44 assists and 14 digs.
 
Anna Weberg and Lia Graham added strong defensive showings with 16 digs apiece, while senior Lily Kurz anchored the middle with a season-high 10 blocks.
 
MATCH 2: MWSU 3, OBU 1
After dropping the opening set, Missouri Western hit another gear against Oklahoma Baptist to claim the second match of the afternoon with set scores of 23-25, 25-8, 25-18 and 25-1.
 
The opening set was closely contested, with 11 ties and four lead changes. Oklahoma Baptist capitalized on a pair of Griffon errors in the final four serves to win the set, 25-23.
 
Missouri Western rebounded with a commanding 25-8 victory, the largest margin of victory in a set over an opponent this season at that point. They led by as many as 17 points and had two separate 9-0 runs.
 
The Griffons maintained momentum in the fourth set, which saw four ties and two lead changes. MWSU gained an early advantage with a 5-0 run, but OBU steadily closed the gap as the set progressed. At the midway point, the Griffons managed to pull ahead and clinch a 25-18 victory.
 
Set four will be remembered as one of the greatest sets in Missouri Western volleyball history, if not the greatest. The Griffons opened the set with a 4-0 run before the Bison notched their first and only point of the match. Holly Heldt was responsible for serve duty for the remainder of the set, as they finished the match on an unprecedented 21-0 run.
 
Johnson paced the Western offense with 42 assists and 19 digs to secure back-to-back double-doubles on the afternoon.

Russell recorded a season-high 19 kills to lead the offense, while Emily Loy added 13 kills of her own.

Weberg achieved a career-high 36 digs and Heldt contributed 22 digs herself in a dominant defensive display.
 
UP NEXT
Missouri Western will return to action tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. against host Southern Nazarene at the Sawyer Center to conclude the final invite of the season.