Netters clipped by SNU, 3-0

Sodich, Hudson lead SAGU hitters

Lady Lions play next in Ark. tourney

BETHANY, Oklahoma  --  Southwestern Assemblies of God University battled valiantly on the road against Southern Nazarene University on Saturday afternoon. In the end the Crimson Storm was too thunderous, sweeping the Lady Lions, 3-0.

SNU (1-4) won for the first time this season by blasting 48 kills to 28 for SAGU. The rad-cladded hosts outhit their counterparts, .318 to .113.They continued their recent mastery over the Purple Pride, taking six of the past seven meetings.

Southwestern (1-6) came up short in their sixth straight match, dropping all three games, 25-20, 25-21 and 25-13.

The Lady Lions attack drilled 14 spikes for points out of 30 swings in the first set. Hitting .400, the squad made only two hitting errors. They simply couldn’t sustain their efficiency.

In the next two sets the Lions made a combined 14 kills and 14 errors.

Southern Naz finished the first game hitting .412 with 17 kills. Their superior front line rose to the occasion when matches were on the line.

In the second game the Lady Lions tied the score at 17 by utilizing a 13-8 run. Two critical hitting errors allowed the Storm to grab a 23-21 advantage as they scored the final four points. The set was tied on seven occasions.

Down 2-0, SAGU hit a negative -.024 in the third. SNU, who hit .371, vaulted to a 21-10 margin and coasted to claim the game and the match.

Player performances

Senior Caitlyn Hudson (Mansfield, TX / Legacy HS) rolled to her third consecutive solid performance. The senior had career highs in back-to-back matches, then hit a team best .217 on Saturday while making only two errors.

She had seven kills and a pair of assists. In the past three matches Hudson has a team-leading 51 kills.

Jessica Sodich (Ovilla, Tx / Ovilla Christian) was tops in kills with 11. She was set-up for 34 attempts and finished with a .176 hitting accuracy. The junior flyer bagged a team-high 11 digs.

Kassy Cox (Lufkin, Tx / Lufkin HS) the heir apparent at Middle Blocker, struggled in her first action since an ankle injury. She figures to return to form in the coming week.

Junior setter Taylor Calverley (Mansfield, Tx / Grace Prep) lifted 24 assists and chipped in with nine digs.

Junior libero Brittany Briggs (Maypearl, Tx / Maypearl HS) tacked on seven digs, while Jessie Giese (Tulsa, Ok / Union HS) and Alissa Kirk (Pataskala, Oh / Gahanna Christian) added six digs apiece.

Next weekend in the Ozarks

SAGU returns to the court next weekend in northwest Arkansas. The squad will play four matches on Friday and Saturday, September 14-15, at the John Brown University Classic.

The Lady Lions first home match is set for Tuesday, Sept. 18, when they welcome Jarvis Christian College for their home debut.

Contact: Mark “Link” Warde, SAGU Sports Information Director at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at 469-658-2847.