By Cade Kennedy, Sports Editor
After a win in Durant, the Lady Rangers volleyball team secured a 3-0 conference record, the greatest start to conference play in the history of the program.
During this three-game stretch, the Lady Rangers recorded wins over Southern Nazarene, East Central and Southeastern. These wins have given Northwestern an overall record of 10-4.
The first opponent the Lady Rangers faced in conference play was Southern Nazarene on Sept. 13. In addition to being the conference opener, this was also the first home game of the season.
The Lady Rangers found themselves in a back-and-forth affair for two straight sets, as they started strong, only for the Crimson Storm to catch up. Despite these tight sets, the Lady Rangers won three straight times, resulting in a 3-0 Northwestern victory.
Addison Wimmer led the way in kills for the Lady Rangers with 20, followed by Tarra Parks, who had seven kills and 18 digs. Andrea Coady contributed 24 digs and three assists, while Cameron Lobb racked up 29 assists.
Lobb’s performance against both the Crimson Storm and East Central gave her the title of Setter of the Week in the Great American Conference.
On Saturday, the Lady Rangers walloped East Central, 3-1, inside Percefull Fieldhouse. The Lady Rangers started slow, as East Central had an 11-5 lead early in the first set. After a few Northwestern substitutions, the Lady Rangers rallied to tie the set at 15-15.
The battle continued between both teams, as neither side could pull away from the other. The Tigers eventually took the first set, 28-26. That was the only set East Central won, as the Lady Rangers grabbed three straight sets to get the win.
“I told the girls to just keep strong with what our plan is, and if they’re not able to stop us, then they’re not going to have anything left, and that’s exactly what happened,” head coach Jon Bingesser said.
Lobb finished the game with 53 assists, the most she had since an Aug. 26 game against Missouri Southern. Both Courtney Russell and Carmae Jones had three blocks, while Wimmer had 25 kills. Coady recorded 34 digs and was named Defensive Player of the Week in the Great American Conference for her performance.
Wimmer received national recognition for both the East Central and Southern Nazarene games, as she won the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s National Player of the Week award.
The final game of the 3-0 start was Tuesday, when the Lady Rangers traveled to Durant to take on Southeastern. After a difficult first set, the Lady Rangers cruised past the Savage Storm for a 3-0 sweep.
The Lady Rangers continue the season Friday when they travel to Weatherford to take on Southwestern at 6 p.m.