BARTLESVILLE, Okla. (10-2-09) – It was a battle, but the Oklahoma Wesleyan volleyball (6-11, 3-1) team gets back into the win column with a 3-1 (20-25, 33-31, 27-25, 25-16) victory over the Lady Bobcats of Peru State College (Neb.). The win moves the Lady Eagles into a tie with conference rival College of the Ozarks (Mo.) for second place.
Junior middle hitter Alica Efron (Fulshear, TX) accounted for 20 of the 54 Lady Eagles kills in the win, while blocking one shot and picking up four digs defensively. Tulsa native Randa Roberts and Leslie Smith also played well, picking up 13 and 11 digs of their own. Of the 41-team assist, 39 of them came from veteran player and senior, Stephanie Lee (Lino Lakes, Minn.)
It was a balanced match defensively, as five Lady Eagles finished with double-digit digs. Leading the way was sophomore Amber Rouse (Yuma, Ariz.) who recorded 20. Roberts proved she is not just an offensive force, as she finished the night with 14 digs.
Other Lady Eagles playing well defensively include Michelle Sanger (Radfield, S.D.) with 14 digs, Lee with 11, and Smith added 10. As a team, the Wesleyan women finished with 79 total digs.
Oklahoma Wesleyan looks to make it and weekend home sweep, as they battle National Association Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) No. 15 and conference leader Bellevue (Neb.) at 1 p.m. on Saturday.