The Lady Wranglers, who won three of four games Friday and Saturday in hosting their OC Tournament — but they could've taken the finale, too, with another winning set Saturday night.

"We stopped doing what was working," Gray said.

Even after dropping the third and fourth sets, OC (10-3) had its chances to win in five in the deciding set.

OC took a 13-12 lead in the fifth when Makenzie Rainone dropped down an unassisted dump kill at the net off a Vernon volley. Vernon picked up the next two points, but then the Lady Wranglers sent back a block to Vernon, and the Lady Chaparrals lost the ball in the net to make it 14-14.

Rainone smoked a kill to give the Lady Wranglers a match-point opportunity at 15-14, but a Lady Wranglers blocking error cost them that chance, and Vernon took the next point to retake the lead.

Trailing 16-15, Rainone's kill attack fell wide.

"We've got to put them in more situations in practice like that," Gray said. "We've got to work hard to be mentally tough — end of the fifth set when it's 14-15 and we're down one point."

Gray said that, after those first two sets, the Lady Wranglers started playing carelessly, no longer attacking certain spots on the floor, or working to avoid certain opposing players.

"We played hard. It was a good team," Gray said. "But we stopped doing what was working the first two sets, to win us those. That's how we lost.

"We can't be up on a team two sets to nothing and lose on our home court in five," she added. "It's unacceptable."

Sophomore Anna Rupertova led the Lady Wranglers with 12 kills in the loss to Vernon, adding 11 digs. Sophomore Amanda Santos had a team-high 21 digs, and freshman Bojona Bolozan totaled a team-best four blocks.

Earlier Saturday, the Lady Wranglers downed Garden City Community College 18-25, 25-14, 25-15, 25-17. On Friday, OC swept Pratt Community College and bested Seward County Community College in five.

The Lady Wranglers will step back into WJCAC play this Wednesday, for a game at Western Texas College. OC is 1-0 in conference after its win over Frank Phillips College last Wednesday.

OC's next home match is set for Sept. 21, when the Lady Wranglers host rival Midland College.

Article by Justin Lee OA