With its 34-match volleyball winning streak and a berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament on the line, nationally eighth-ranked Arkansas Tech University reeled off six consecutive points to take the fifth and decisive set in the Great American Conference Tournament championship match against Harding University on Saturday, Nov. 18.
The Golden Suns (35-0) defeated the Lady Bisons (27-6) 25-17, 25-20, 21-25, 20-25, 15-11 at Bank of the Ozarks Arena in Hot Springs to win the fourth GAC Volleyball Tournament title in school history. ATU, which is also the 2017 GAC regular season champion, previously won GAC Tournament championships in 2011, 2013 and 2014.
“I have no words,” said Golden Suns head coach Kristy Bayer. “It was just an incredible win for us. The first two sets we stuck to our game plan, we served aggressively and we got them out of system. In sets three and four, Harding played incredible defense. We are not used to a team bringing the ball back over the net as much as Harding did, and you could see us starting to get really fatigued. It just so happened in that fifth set that the last four or five points we grinded it out. It was two great, great teams playing great volleyball. If Harding was in any other region, they would be going to the NCAA Tournament.”
Harding led 11-9 in the fifth set. A block by Tech’s Tabitha Spray and Lexie Johnston turned the tide in the Golden Suns’ favor. Amanda Milnick followed with a kill to tie the score at 11-11.
A kill by Johnston, a block by Johnston and Hunter Eshnaur and a service ace by Spray brought Tech within one point of the title. The Suns’ celebration was set into motion by a Johnston block on championship point.
Allie Anderson (15 kills), Eshnaur (13 kills) and Spray (12 kills) led Tech’s offensive attack. Milnick finished with 47 assists and 14 digs. Johnston made nine kills and eight blocks, while Madison Nagel collected 34 digs. Meredith Darnell added 15 digs.
The Golden Suns will compete in the NCAA Division II Tournament Central Regional Nov. 30-Dec. 2 in Marshall, Minn.
“We dedicate this championship win to the NCAA regional advisory committee for volleyball and the national committee,” said Bayer. “When we saw we were placed in the 10th spot (in the region), we knew we had to win the tournament. Even though we were 32-0 coming in, we knew we had to win this conference tournament because we got moved down to 10th in the region. So, I want to dedicate this championship to the NCAA committee, and it looks like we’re going to Minnesota anyway.”
