On Oct. 22, the Lady Bisons played a Pink Out match against the University of Arkansas Monticello at home. The Lady Bisons went on to win their next three away matches against Southern Nazarene University, Southwestern Oklahoma University and Southern Arkansas University.
During the Pink Out, the Lady Bisons were able to play their whole roster in a 3-0 win. Coach Meredith Fear said it was an especially good win because of the cause they were playing for, with funds from the match going to a freshman volleyball player at Arkansas Tech who was diagnosed with cancer in August. Fear said she was also pleased with the fact that everyone on the team was able to contribute to the win.
Going into the rest of the week’s matches, the team knew the Oklahoma matches would be a challenge, especially against Southern Nazarene University. At the time, both teams were 7-0 in conference play.
“That was the first time any of the team, including coaches, had been to their campus and we had to take on a really good team,” Fear said.
Despite their uncertainty, on Oct. 24 the team managed a 15-13 win in the fifth set against Southern Nazarene University. Fear said the girls did not play their best but the cards were stacked against them, and she considers every win on the road a good win.
The team continued their winning streak on Saturday against Southwestern Oklahoma State, getting off to a slow start but ending the match strong with a 25-15 win in the fourth set.
According to senior middle blocker Alyssa Short, Southern Arkansas University is always a good match for the Lady Bisons.
The team took won 3-0 against the Muleriders on Oct. 29 in Magnolia, Ark.
“We played really well against them,” Short said. “We were able to highlight our skills and pull out another win.”
Fear said most people look at their record and assume that they easily beat their opponents, but that is not necessarily the case. The team has put in a lot of hard work to get to this point and it has not always been an easy road.
“We have had to fight hard for a lot of those wins and I am very proud that the team is continually achieving their goals,” Fear said.
Yesterday, the Lady Bisons took on Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Ark.
“Ouachita is always a scrappy team that challenges us and makes for a fun game,” senior libero Lisa Copeland said.
The team has three conference matches left before the regular season ends. The Lady Bisons will take on Arkansas Tech University on Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. at home.
