By Cade Kennedy, Sports Editor
With only three games remaining in the regular season, the Northwestern volleyball team only needs one win to make the Great American Conference tournament.
The Lady Rangers inched closer towards the tournament on Saturday, playing Southeastern Oklahoma State University and Southwestern College of Kansas at Percefull Fieldhouse.
The first match of the day was against Southeastern, an opponent the Lady Rangers already played earlier in the season. Northwestern won the first game in Durant, 3-0.
This match went similar to the first meeting between the two. The Lady Rangers won the first set 25-19 and never looked back. The Lady Rangers swept the Savage Storm, 3-0.
Later that day, Northwestern played the Moundbuilders of Southwestern College for the final game of the three-game triad. The Lady Rangers got off to a blazing start by winning the first set, 25-15. The second set went the same way, as the Lady Rangers once again won, 25-15. The third set was the most competitive of the game, as the Lady Rangers won by only six points, 25-19, to get another 3-0 victory.
On Tuesday, Northwestern travelled to Bethany to play the Crimson Storm of Southern Nazarene in a game with major implications. Both teams had a 7-5 conference record coming into the game, meaning that whoever won the game also clinched a spot in the GAC tournament.
The Crimson Storm won the first set of the match with an onslaught of points that the Lady Rangers did not stop. In the second set, the Lady Rangers let a 24-21 lead slip away as the Crimson Storm rallied to win the set, 26-24. Momentum carried Southern Nazarene in the third set, as the Crimson Storm won all three sets to clinch at conference tournament spot.
The Lady Rangers start the final stretch of games Friday when they take on Oklahoma Baptist at 6 p.m. at Percefull Fieldhouse. The final home game of the season will be Tuesday, as the Lady Rangers battle Southwestern at 7 p.m. before travelling to Ada to play East Central at 6 p.m. on Nov. 4.