Point Lookout, Mo. - Following a tough loss on Friday, the College of the Ozarks Lady Bobcats returned to Keeter Gym on Saturday for another Sooner Athletic Conference match. The Lady Cats welcomed the Eagles of Southwestern Christian University, and they were looking to bounce back from the night before.

The Lady Cats scored the opening point, SCU answered, and the battle was on. A pair of Eagle errors and back-to-back Brooklyn Crawford kills gave the Lady Cats an early 5-2 advantage. Abby Chadwell followed with a kill and the Lady Cats were building momentum. Kills by Emma McIntire and Brooklyn Crawford kept the Cats in front, but the Eagles continued to battle. Slowly chipping away at the Lady Cat lead, the Eagles soon cut the score to 9-8. An Emme McIntire kill and a Kamryn Link ace provided some space, and a Grace Hancock kill bumped the lead to 12-8. A pair of kills and a block by Bri Linehan built a 15-9 Lady Cat lead and the Eagles needed a timeout to regroup. Anna Howe delivered an ace out of the huddle and the Lady Cats clearly had the momentum. A pair of Brooklyn Crawford kills and an Eagle error bumped the score to 20-10 and a Bri Linehan kill inched the Lady Cats closer to the set win. The Eagles were not ready to concede and a 5-1 run by the visitors began to make things interesting. An Eagle error and a Grace Hancock kill broke the string however, and another Hancock kill gave the Lady Cats the 25-17 set win.

Set two opened with a Kamryn Link ace and the Lady Cats were hoping to keep the momentum rolling. A block by Bailey Chamberlain and Grace Hancock continued the strong start, but SCU began to battle back and soon took the lead. An Eagle error, Chadwell and Crawford kills, and a Mica Chadwell ace put the Lady cats back in front and gave them a 7-3 lead. Back-to-back Eagle aces cut the gap, but the Lady Cats continued to hold off the challenges. Kills by Bri Linehan and Brooklyn Crawford helped hold onto the advantage as the Eagles continued to battle. The teams were trading points, and neither could find a way to build a lead. The Eagles took their first lead, 11-10 and the momentum had shifted. A Bailey Chamberlain kill tied the score and the battle intensified. A Crawford block returned the lead to the Lady Cats and a pair of Linihan kills provided some cushion. The lead was short-lived however, as the Eagles responded. The teams continued trading jabs to an 18-18 tie and the Eagles regained the lead on a C of O error. Things were getting interesting as the teams traded points. Set two would be going down to the wire. A Grace Hancock kill evened the score at 22, and an Eagle error gave the Lady Cats a 23-22 advantage. The Eagles took a timeout and Bri Linehan greeted them with a kill out of the huddle. An Eagle point made it 24-23 before Linehan slammed another down on the Eagle side of the net for the 25-23 win.
The Lady Cats had sweep in mind, but the Eagles were determined to extend the match. The Lady Cats took an early 2-0 lead, but SCU quickly responded. A Christa Duffel kill and an Eagle error kept the Lady Cats in front, but not for long. The Eagles took their first lead, 5-4 before a Duffel kill evened the score. An Emma Godwin ace returned the lead to the Lady Cats and trading points became the norm. A kill and a block by Bailey Chamberlain and a Bri Linehan kill maintained the Lady Cat advantage, with the Eagles battling to stay close. The Lady Cats continued to answer the challenges of the Eagles and slowly built a 15-12 lead. A Christa Duffel kill forced an SCU timeout as the Lady Cats were starting to build momentum. Another Duffel kill out of the huddle added to the lead and a Crawford kill and Godwin ace followed. The Lady Cat lead grew to 20-13 before the Eagles could stop the string. Brooklyn Crawford slammed down a kill, the Eagles committed a pair of errors, and Bailey Chamberlain drove one home to bring up match point. The Eagles battled but a Kamryn Link kill sealed the set win, 25-17 and the match win, 3-0.

Brooklyn Crawford led the offense with 10 kills and Bri Linehan followed with nine. Kamryn Link dished out 18 assists and Maddie Michel added 11. Mica Chadwell recorded 17 digs to anchor the defense in the win.

The Lady Cats hit the road next weekend for more Sooner Athletic Conference action. They will travel to Nelson University for a Friday contest and Texas Wesleyan University on Saturday.