From OCU Sports
Rich Tortorelli, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Oklahoma City University clinched a spot in bracket play of the NAIA volleyball championships with a 25-17, 25-11, 25-17 victory over Mobile (Ala.) on Wednesday at the Tyson Events Center.
Oklahoma City improved to 32-3 and 2-0 in pool play of the NAIA Championships. The 12th-ranked Stars take on fifth-ranked Midland (Neb.) at 7 p.m. Thursday to decide the winner of Pool E.
The top two teams from each of the eight pools will advance to bracket play Friday in the NAIA Championships. OCU reached bracket play for the first time ever.
“I am very proud of my team and their ability to come through in big moments,” OCU coach Kyle Steele said. “We have played completely balanced two nights in a row and are backing it up with a great defensive effort. We are growing from this experience every day and feel the team coming closer together as the tournament goes on. We are looking forward to a really tough match against No. 5 Midland tomorrow.”
Manon Soraru, a junior from Mulhouse, France, paced OCU with 11 kills, and Sanja Vojnovic, a junior from Bajeljena, Bosnia, accumulated 37 assists, three kills and three blocks.
Marijana Bjelobrk, a freshman from Belgrade, Serbia, smacked nine kills, while Dani Chase, a junior from Yukon, Okla., supplied the Stars with 15 digs. Fia Faa’agi, a sophomore from Murrieta, Calif., nailed nine kills, and Stefani Nell, a junior from Tulsa, Okla., picked up nine digs for OCU.
The Stars pulled away from Mobile (31-10) in the first set with five consecutive points. Shekinah Clarke had back-to-back kills, then Chase served up an ace to give OCU a 17-12 lead.
OCU reeled off a 6-0 surge to start the third set sparked by Bjelobrk’s kill. Kenzie McMullen’s kill secured the victory.