Despite a strong first set, women’s volleyball lost 3-1 to Southern Nazarene University Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 6 p.m.

The team led the entire first set en route to a 25-18 victory. Raven Presley (No.21), right-side hitter and mechanical engineering junior, had seven kills in the first set. Her seventh kill was the set winner off an assist from Sarah Glawe (No.10), setter and education junior.

Presley went down with an apparent knee injury early in the second set and did not return to the game. 

“[Presley] was on fire,” Lauren Honeycutt (No.19), middle blocker and kinesiology sophomore, said. “We all thought about [the injury] in our heads. It brought the energy down a lot.”

The ‘Stangs went on to lose the next three sets to the Crimson Storm 25-17, 25-23 and 25-16. The Storm had four players with at least ten kills, while only Sarah Eaken (No.11), middle blocker and nursing senior, recorded double-digit kills for the home side. 

“[We learned] not to become complacent,” Honeycutt said, “even though we won the first set.”

Valerie Armstrong, head volleyball coach, agreed with her player’s assessment but was also quick to bring up the effect of Presley’s injury on the game. 

“[We need to focus on] fighting through adversity,” Armstrong said. “Presley had a great set. [Her injury] was the game-changer.”

The loss to Southern Nazarene dropped the Mustangs’ record to 3-12. 

The girls continue their homestand Friday, Oct. 11 at 6 p.m. against UT Permian Basin.