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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Malia Kaaiohelo
3
Winner Central Oklahoma UCO 1-0, 0-0
0
Southwest Baptist SBU 0-1, 0-0
Winner
Central Oklahoma UCO
1-0, 0-0
3
Final
0
Southwest Baptist SBU
0-1, 0-0
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Central Oklahoma UCO 25 25 25 (3)
Southwest Baptist SBU 8 17 15 (0)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

No. 16 Bronchos Open With Easy Win

STEPHENVILLE, Texas (Aug. 24) – No. 16-ranked Central Oklahoma got off to a hot start and never looked back in cruising past Southwest Baptist in the 2018 season opener here Friday morning.

The Bronchos committed no attack errors and hit a sizzling .583 in a 25-8 first-set romp before taking the final two sets 25-17, 25-15 in their first match of the Tarleton State Invitational.  UCO hit .357 for the match with 40 kills and 10 miscues in 84 attempts.

"We came out ready to play and our offense was really working," head coach Edgar Miraku said.  "It was a good start for us.  We were able to get a lot of players some time on the court."

It was the sixth straight season-opening win for Central, which returns to action at 3 p.m. against Midwestern State before meeting Texas A&M-Commerce and No. 18-rated Tarleton State Saturday.

All-American Taylor Bevis led the way with 11 kills and a .667 attack percentage while playing just the first two sets.  Malia Kaaiohelo hit .538 with eight kills, while Haley Deschenes added six kills and Karyn Chrisman five.

Freshman Amanda Desch handled the majority of setting duties for the Bronchos and finished with 29 assists to go with nine digs, three kills and two service aces.  Jordan Cramer had 11 digs and Dominique Lipari 10 to pace the back-row defense.

Kaaiohelo, Jordan Spence and Chrisman started the first set with consecutive kills to give UCO a quick 3-0 lead and it was a 5-3 advantage when the Bronchos unleased a 14-1 run to break it open.

Bevis had five kills – including three straight during one stretch – and Cramer and Spencer had two aces apiece during that spurt to make it 19-4 and Central coasted from there.

SBU took a 2-0 lead to start the second set, but the Bronchos reeled off seven unanswered points behind three Bevis kills and a Spence ace to surge in front 7-2.  The Bearcats got back within four at 12-8 before UCO pulled away again.

Rookie Alycia Bradley-Adriano's kill broke a 4-4 deadlock and ignited a 7-0 run early in the third set that put the Bronchos ahead 11-4.  It was a 13-8 lead when Desch and Spence teamed up for a block, SBU committed an error and Chrisman had a kill to make it 16-8 and the Bearcats could get no closer.
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