[November 4, 2008]

By: Houston Taylor

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas used a 3-2 victory (20-25, 27-25, 25-18, 23-25, 15-11) over Ouachita Baptist Tuesday at the Sturgis Center to end their 2008 volleyball season on a winning note.

The win snapped a four-match losing streak for the Lady Muleriders (11-18, 3-9 GSC), and it was their seventh five-set match of the season, giving them a 4-3 record in matches going the extra frame.

SAU had 55 kills to the Lady Tigers’ 48 in out-hitting their opponent, .104 to .039, and were strong at the net, accumulating 13 team blocks.

Veronica Ogbeide had 14 kills in leading Southern Arkansas, while Danielle Sneed and Sarah Bell chipped in 11 and 10, respectively. Michaela Scroggins set up 49 assists to her teammates, and she and Kaci Matthews had three service aces each.

Mallory McKee added to her SAU career leading dig total with 26, Sneed and Erica Malone had 12 apiece, and Matthews and Maggie Ross contributed 10 each. Ross and Taylor Rollins had match-highs of six blocks apiece.

OBU’s Meredith Henry led all players with 17 digs, and Libby Merritt had 15, while Raichel Settle finished with 25 digs. With the loss, Ouachita Baptist falls to 10-24 on the season and 3-8 in league play.

The Lady Muleriders had three seniors playing in their final matches in Ogbeide, Bell and McKee.

Ogbeide shared team-high honors with Ross this year with 80 blocks, and was third on the squad in points (299.5). She totaled 359 kills and 147 blocks in her two-year career.

Bell was second this season in kills (282), kills per set (2.54), digs (239) and points (328). She ends her four-year career with 524 kills and 606 digs.

McKee led all players with 549 digs, her fourth straight season of 500-plus digs, and 50 service aces. She leaves her mark on the Southern Arkansas record book, holding a total of four school records, including the all-time digs leader with 2,297. McKee owns four of the top five dig totals for a match, including the record of 44 set in 2007. She had 42 against Arkansas-Monticello this year. She also holds the top four spots in digs per set for a season, with a school record 6.08 last year, and has the career mark of 5.47.