MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas volleyball team's hot streak continued with its sixth consecutive win in a 3-2 decision over Arkansas-Monticello in Great American Conference play Thursday at the W.T. Watson Athletic Center.
 
The Lady Muleriders (8-2, 3-0 GAC) picked up their third five-set win during the streak that started with a pair of victories September 8 in Hawaii against Hawaii-Hilo.  The Cotton Blossoms (3-10, 0-3 GAC) suffered their second straight setback and first five-set loss of the year.
 
SAU's 8-2 start to the season matches the best mark since the 2003 team began 9-2, and their 3-0 record in conference play equals the start of the 1995 team that began 4-0 in league play.
 
Southern Arkansas overcame 33 attack errors by converting 28 more attacks than UAM into 22 more kills, finishing with 74 to 52.
 
Junior outside hitter Denise De Vine (Lake Elsinore, Calif.) led a balanced offensive attack with a match-high 17 kills, as five Lady Muleriders recorded double-figures.  Junior outside hitter Courtney Geesing (Montrose, Colo.) added 16, senior middle hitter Monica Cox (Channelview, Texas) finished with 12, and junior middle hitter Cambria Martin (Tujunga, Calif.) and senior Courtney Smith (Mansfield, Texas) had 11 each.
 
Junior setter Klaire Blasco Vine (Downey, Calif.) fed her teammates with a match-high 62 assists, and added three service aces and 17 digs.
 
Defensively, junior libero Lauren Woods (Kennedale, Texas) had a match-high 36 digs, and Smith had four blocks at the net.  Freshman defensive specialist Allie Cecil (Rockwall, Texas) chipped in 22 digs, De Vine had 19, and Blasco Vine added 17.
 
Amy Kleypas led Arkansas-Monticello with 13 kills, and Tusalava Kuaea had 12.  Allison Beardsley finished with 26 digs, and Christina Rini had a match-high five blocks.
 
SAU is off until next weekend when they make a two-day trip to Oklahoma for GAC matches against Southwestern Oklahoma State and Northwestern Oklahoma State September 28-29.  They play Southwestern in Weatherford that Friday at 7 p.m., before taking on Northwestern in Alva Saturday at 2 p.m.  As a provisional conference member, Northwestern is not eligible for the league championship, but the contest does count as a league match.