After a tough couple of matches in Texas last weekend and a hard-fought match at John Brown University on Wednesday, the Lady Cats returned home to face the Drovers of University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma.

Defense got the Lady Cats on the board early as Grace Hancock, Bri Linehan, and Bailey Chamberlain teamed up at the net for blocks. Chamberlain got the offense going with a kill and the battle was on. The teams traded points in the early going and a Linehan kill kept the Lady Cats in front. The Drovers continued to apply pressure and soon took their first lead, 7-6. A small run for the Drovers followed and the Lady Cats found themselves in a 10-6 hole. A couple of Drover errors and a Grace Hancock kill stopped the run, but only for a short time as another string of Drover points bumped the score to 13-8. The Lady Cats took a timeout to regroup and a Drover error out of the huddle returned the serve to the Lady Cats. The Drovers began to face their own struggles, and the Lady Cats cut the gap to 13-11. The drovers continued to attack however, and soon led 17-12. A pair of kills by Bailey Chamberlain and another two by Bri Linehan cut the gap to 17-15 and the Drovers needed a timeout of their own. The teams began trading points and the Drovers were clinging to a small advantage. Slowly the Drovers inched toward the set win, and C of O took their final timeout, trailing 21-17. Trading points continued and the Lady Cats needed a run. Brooklyn Crawford slammed one down on the USAO side of the net and Grace Hancock did the same to cut the gap to 23-21. Bailey Chamberlain found the floor on the Drovers side and USAO took a timeout clinging to a 23-22 lead. A Jocee Pettyjohn ace tied the score, but a Drover kill brought up set point. A Drover error knotted the score again at 24 and another error gave the Lady Cats the advantage. Bri Linehan pounded down a kill for the final point and C of O took set one 26-24.

The Drovers jumped on the board first in set two and a Bailey Chamberlain kill evened things up. The tug of war began, and points went back and forth. A Mica Chadwell ace tied the score at three apiece, but the Lady Cats were not able to string points together. Back-to-back kills by Brooklyn Crawford gave the Lady Cats their first lead, and an Abby Chadwell kill maintained the slim advantage. A Mica Chadwell kill, and a Drover error provided a small cushion, 8-5. After a Drover point, Grace Hancock slammed down a kill and the trading points resumed. A block by Abby Chadwell, and a Grace Hancock kill forced a Drover timeout with the Lady Cats leading 11-7. A service ace by Kamryn Link greeted the Drovers out of the huddle and the Lady Cats were looking to build momentum. USAO had other plans and they scored the next four points to build some momentum of their own. A Chamberlain kill broke the string, and a Drover error, and a Chamberlain block boosted the score to 15-11. Points began to go back and forth again, and it was up to the Lady Cats to hold off the challenges of the visitors. A pair of Linehan kills kept the Lady Cats on top, and a Christa Duffel slam forced another USAO timeout. A Crawford kill out of the huddle bumped the score to 19-13 and the Lady Cats were looking for a set two win. Duffel followed with another kill, before the Drovers broke the string and scored the next four points to reduce the Lady Cat advantage. A block by Hancock and Crawford stopped the run, but the Drovers refused to concede. With the Lady Cats leading 21-19, a Grace Hancock kill ended a long rally. Another Drover point forced a Lady Cat timeout, and things began to get tense for the second set in a row. A Bailey Chamberlian kill after the timeout bumped the score to 23-20 and the Lady Cats were two points away from the set win. USAO took the next two points before a Linehan kill brought up set point. The Drovers took the next point and a Brooklyn Crawford kill ended the set for a 25-23 Lady Cat win.

The Lady Cats put the first point on the board in set three, but USAO quickly answered. A Chamberlain block and a Linehan kill kept the Cats on top, but USAO was determined to extend the match. The Drovers put together a 5-0 run before a Crawford kill broke the string. Another Crawford kill cut the gap to 7-5 but the Drovers responded again with a pair of points. The Lady Cats needed a run of their own and the Drovers were fighting to force a fourth set. A kill by Abby Chadwell and an ace by Kamryn Link were combined with a USAO error and the Lady Cats took their first lead, 12-11. A kill by Grace Hancock and a service ace by Anna Howe extended the lead to 14-12, but the Drovers refused to give in. The Drovers battled back to take a 15-14 lead before a service error evened the score again, 15-15. Points went back and forth until a pair of Crawford kills and a pair of USAO errors gave the Lady Cats a 19-16 advantage. Kills by Crawford and Bailey Chamberlain inched the Lady Cats closer to the set win, but the Drovers continued to battle. A Drover error brought up set point however, and another error gave the Lady Cats a 25-21 win, and the sweep, 3-0.

Brooklyn Crawford led the offensive attack with 12 kills, Grace Hancock added 10, and Bailey Chamberlain and Bri Linehan tacked on nine each. Maddie Michel dished out 24 assists and Kamryn Link added 18. Mica Chadwell anchored the defense with 20 digs in the win.

The Lady Cats return to action Saturday against Mid-America Christian University at 1 PM.