Joplin, Mo. – The SBU women's volleyball team opened the 2026 season in strong fashion Friday, picking up a pair of victories to begin the year 2-0. The Bearcats defeated Northwestern Oklahoma State 3-1 before battling past Southeastern Oklahoma State in five sets.
Southwest Baptist began the day with a 25-17, 28-26, 20-25, 25-20 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State. The Bearcats came out firing in the opening set, hitting .414 before fighting through a tight second set to take a 2-0 advantage. After dropping the third, SBU responded in the fourth to secure its first victory of the season.
Gabriela Dupree and Julia Marinesi led the Bearcat attack with 17 kills apiece. Marinesi had an impressive all-around performance, hitting .350 with four service aces and 14 digs, while Dupree added 15 digs. Chloe Chafins led the defensive effort with 18 digs, while Allie Hawk dished out a team-high 31 assists. As a team, SBU finished with 55 kills and 10 service aces while holding Northwestern Oklahoma State to a .128 hitting percentage.
The Bearcats returned to action later in the day against Southeastern Oklahoma State and jumped out to a commanding lead with 25-22 and 25-16 victories in the first two sets. Southeastern responded by taking the next two, forcing SBU into its first fifth set of the season. The Bearcats answered the challenge, hitting .368 in the deciding frame on their way to a 15-11 victory and a 3-2 match win.
Dupree once again led the Bearcats with 17 kills while Marinesi finished right behind her with 16 kills and 15 digs. Aubrie Fellmeth added 10 kills while hitting .296. SBU received contributions throughout the lineup as Hawk recorded 23 assists and 13 digs, Danika Mejico added 22 assists and three service aces, and Melissa Patel led the team with 18 digs. Kailey Sexton helped lead a strong effort at the net with five block assists.
Through two matches, Dupree finished opening day with 34 kills eclipsing 400 career kills in her short time at SBU. Marinesi matched her with 33 kills and contributed seven service aces. The pair helped the Bearcats move to 2-0 on the season as they continue their opening weekend of competition.
Southwest Baptist continues their season Saturday morning against Northeastern State at 11:00 am and Missouri Southern at 3:00 pm.
