OMAHA, Neb. – The Ottawa University women's volleyball team battled through five sets to earn a hard-fought victory over Oklahoma Panhandle State, 3-2, on Saturday evening. The Braves dropped the opening set 25-15 but responded with wins in the second (25-19), fourth (25-22), and decisive fifth set (15-11) to secure the match.

Ottawa's offense was fueled by Campbell Stark, who recorded a match-high 20 kills while hitting an impressive .457. She was supported by Hollie Peters, who added 15 kills at a .343 clip, and Samantha Stahl, who chipped in 13 kills. Setter Madison Brauner paced the offense with 26 assists, while Makela Martinez contributed another 20 assists to balance the attack.

Defensively, Ottawa held strong with 90 digs, led by Carson Schuman's 21 and Brauner's 17. At the net, the Braves out-blocked OPSU 11-5, highlighted by Stark's six total blocks (1 solo, 5 assists) and Kira Cherry's five blocks (2 solo, 3 assists).

For OPSU, Ava Newby led the Aggies with 21 kills on a .383 hitting percentage, while Taylore Alsaid added 14 kills and 16 digs. Setter Mia Sanchez dished out a match-high 53 assists.

Ottawa (1-5) returns to the court on Friday, Sept. 5 in its home opener against Stephens College. The match is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.