Bronchos Open Five-Match Homestand Tuesday

Unbeaten UCO Will Play Four Intrastate Rivals in MIAA/GAC Crossover This Week

EDMOND – Unbeaten Central Oklahoma opens a five-match homestand Tuesday when the No. 4-ranked Bronchos host Texas Woman's in a 6 p.m. contest at Hamiton Field House.

UCO is 9-0 on the season, while the Pioneers from Denton, Texas are 6-2. TWU made the Division II national tournament last year and the teams were Lone Star Conference rivals from 1989-2010.

The Bronchos take a day off after playing the Pioneers before meeting four in-state opponents during the three-day MIAA/GAC Crossover at Hamilton. UCO takes on Southwestern Oklahoma at 11 a.m. and East Central at 7 p.m. on Thursday, then tangles with Northwestern Oklahoma at 5 p.m. Friday and Southern Nazarene at 2 p.m. Saturday.

"It's busy week," said 13th-year head coach Edgar Miraku said. "We've done a lot of traveling the last two weeks, so it will be good to be home. I'm really proud of how we've played to this point, but we can't be satisfied and have to keep working hard at getting better."

Central is 134-30 at Hamilton Field House under Mariku and has won 20 of its last 21 home matches.

The Bronchos go back on the road next week, opening MIAA play with back-to-back matches at Newman (Sept. 26) and Pittsburg State (Sept. 27).

ABOUT THE BRONCHOS: UCO swept four straight opponents at the Rattler Invitational in San Antonio, Texas last weekend and has yet to drop a set in its 9-0 start.

The longest streak of 3-0 wins in program history is 11, set in 1993. The 2016 and '17 teams both won 10 straight 3-0 matches.

Freshman Kamryn Glover and senior Mikiah Perdue led the Bronchos last weekend in earning all-tournament honors. Glover knocked down 45 kills (3.75/set) with 19 digs, five total blocks and four service aces. Perdue hit .352 with 33 kills (2.75/set) and 17 total blocks.

UCO ranks in the top 15 nationally in six team categories – second in digs/set (22.67), fifth in attacks/set (41.44), sixth in total digs (612), 11th in kills/set (14.52), 12th in assists/set (13.26) and 13th in opponent hitting percentage (.098).

Junior Kaitlyn Parrott continues to lead Division II in both total digs (185) and digs/set (6.85). She's had five matches with 20-plus digs already, including a career-high of 30 against Ferris State.

Senior Lindsey Houran is also among the national leaders, ranking seventh in assists/set (11.52) and 16th in total assists (288). Houran has had at least 30 assists in eight of nine matches, the exception coming in a win last week over Texas A&M-International when she played just one set.

Glover ranks 15th in attacks/set (12.26) and 16th in total attacks (331). She has a team-high 93 kills (3.44/set) on the season to go along with 52 digs, 10 aces and 10 total blocks.

Senior Kedron Burk has collected 79 kills (2.93/set) with 18 total blocks and four aces, while Perdue is hitting .325 with 75 kills (2.78/set) and a team-high 29 total blocks.

Senior Sydney Huck saw her first extensive action of the season in UCO's tournament-ending win over Florida Southern last weekend, hitting .345 with 15 kills. The three-time First-Team All-MIAA performer now has 1,165 career kills, needing 142 more to move into the school's all-time top 10.

ABOUT THE PIONEERS: Texas Woman's swept four matches in its own Denton Volleyfest last weekend to go to 6-2 on the season.

Sydney Garrison leads the Pioneers with 64 kills (2.91/set), 67 digs and 10 service aces. Myracle Stockman has 61 kills (2.54/set), 35 digs and 13 total blocks, while Trinity Blackwood has 43 kills and 19 blocks.

UCO has a 26-18 lead in the series and has won the last five meetings between the two.

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS: Southwestern Oklahoma is off to a 2-6 start.

The Bulldogs are paced by Paris Patterson, who has 82 kills (2.65/set), 46 digs, 14 blocks and four aces. Hailey Smith has added 75 kills (2.42/set), 33 blocks and 11 aces, with Sydnee Winfrey chipping in 68 kills (2.27/set), 42 blocks and six aces.

The Bronchos have never lost to SWOSU, owning a 16-0 series lead.

ABOUT THE TIGERS: East Central is 1-8 heading into a Tuesday home match with Northwestern Oklahoma.

Peyton Spahn leads the Tigers with 75 kills (2.59/set), 15 digs and eight blocks. Jayla Buford has 70 kills (2.12/set), 82 digs, 18 blocks and eight aces, while Faiana Halatoa also has 70 kills.

UCO has a 19-2 lead in the series and is riding a 15-match winning streak over ECU.

ABOUT THE RANGERS: Northwestern Oklahoma is 1-7 prior to a Tuesday road meeting with East Central.

Ece Ozdemir tops the Rangers with 79 kills (2.72/set), 68 digs, 16 aces and seven blocks. Tess De Zanet has chipped in 70 kills (2.41/set), 52 digs and 10 aces, while Naya Danenberg has 48 kills (1.66/set) with 74 digs.

The Bronchos have a 6-0 advantage in a short series with NWOSU.

ABOUT THE CRIMSON STORM: Southern Nazarene takes a 2-5 record into Tuesday's home match with Cameron.

The Crimson Storm are paced by Kate Wright, who has 70 kills (3.33/set), 43 digs and five blocks. Rayanna Mauldin has added 43 kills (2.39/set), 37 digs and eight blocks, while Hannah Morgan has 34 kills (1.31/set), 16 blocks and nine aces.

UCO owns a big 32-10 lead in a series that started in 1987, though SNU won the last meeting in 2023.

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Players Mentioned

#1 Lindsey Houran: S; 5' 8"; Senior

#14 Sydney Huck: OH; 5' 10"; Senior

#9 Kaitlyn Parrott: DS/L; 5' 5"; Junior

#15 Mikiah Perdue: MB; 5' 9"; Senior

#3 Kedron Burk: MB; 6' 2"; Senior

#7 Kamryn Glover: OH/RS; 6' 1"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#1 Lindsey Houran
: 5' 8"; Senior
: S

#14 Sydney Huck
: 5' 10"; Senior
: OH

#9 Kaitlyn Parrott
: 5' 5"; Junior
: DS/L

#15 Mikiah Perdue
: 5' 9"; Senior
: MB

#3 Kedron Burk
: 6' 2"; Senior
: MB

#7 Kamryn Glover
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: OH/RS