The University of the Ozarks volleyball team earned its first Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference victory of the season Friday, defeating Centenary College 3-1 on the road. The Eagles won by scores of 26-24, 25-27, 25-16 and 25-21.
The Eagles opened the match with a hard-fought 26-24 win in the first set. Centenary responded by taking the second set 27-25, but Ozarks regained control in the third, posting a convincing 25-16 victory. The Eagles then closed out the match with a 25-21 win in the fourth set.
Brooke Humphrey led the Ozarks attack with 18 kills, while Claire Zeiler added 14. The Eagles finished with 47 kills and a .126 hitting percentage, compared to Centenary's 35 kills and .029 hitting percentage.
Ozarks also controlled the net, recording 11 blocks to just two for the Ladies. Madelyn Hagemeier led the Eagles with six blocks, while Samantha Barnes contributed four and Zeiler added two.
Gabby Dotson paced the offense with 18 assists and delivered four service aces. Madison Widmayer added three aces and led the defensive effort with 16 digs. Zeiler contributed 13 digs, while Humphrey finished with 12.
The Eagles also received seven assists from Jillian Childs and six from Anna Campbell, helping Ozarks finish with 44 assists. The team totaled 69 digs, nine more than Centenary.
Ozarks' balanced attack and strong defensive performance proved decisive, particularly in the final two sets, as the Eagles secured their first conference win of the season.
