Weatherford, Okla. – The Southern Arkansas volleyball team saw four players record double-digit digs and limited Southwestern Oklahoma to a .167 (45-23-132) attacking percentage in the four-set win at Pioneer Cellular Event Center Friday night.

"I feel like our team is better put together now," libero Hannah Rice said. "I feel like we're about to take off. It's really a full six-player deal all working together out there right now. Our confidence in each other is the highest it has ever been."

Senior Amanda Monge sparked the offense with five kills in the first 10 points of the first set to give SAU (6-12, 3-3 GAC) a 10-7 lead. With the first set at a 20-20 gridlock, junior Shelby Lauterbach fired a kill and handed the serve to Monge, who would put the Bulldogs offense out of sync with her powerful jump serve. The Lady Muleriders scored the last five points of the set to take a 1-0 set advantage.

With the second set tied at four points apiece, SAU would score the next nine points, taking advantage of eight SWOSU (5-8, 3-3 GAC) errors. The Lady Muleriders would fend off the Bulldogs and take the second set 25-17.
 
The turning point in the third set came with the score tied at seven. The Bulldogs would rip off six straight points on five kills and a service ace. The Lady Muleriders would fight back near the end of the set. But after a kill by freshman Alli O'Banion cut into the lead at 20-24, SWOSU's Joey Collins iced the set for the Bulldogs with a kill of her own.
 
The fourth set proved to be a common spot for the Lady Muleriders this season but this time with a different result. SWOSU jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fourth set before Monge's jump serve again proved mighty for the Lady Muleriders. Two Monge service aces and two kills apiece from O'Banion and setter Taylor Reaume sparked a 10-point run for SAU.
 
Although the Bulldogs struck back with a 6-0 run on five Lady Mulerider errors and a kill, Lauterbach would record a kill to tie the game at 13-13. The two teams traded points up to 18 before SAU broke through with a Lauterbach kill followed by a service ace to give the Lady Muleriders a 20-18 advantage. With SAU leading 21-20, the Lady Muleriders would take the next four points to secure the match, handing the Bulldogs a lost on their home court. .
 
"It's incredible seeing these kids do what we know they can do," Head Coach Steven Gream said. "We played that tough schedule at the beginning of the season and now you're starting to see the rewards from those hard-fought games early on."
 
Lauterbach had her most efficient game this season, swinging .350 (9-2-20), while Monge (15 kills, 10 digs) and sophomore Hailey McNee (11 kills, 10 digs) recorded double-doubles. Rice was also solid on the defensive end, constantly being in the right position to counter on dinks and roll shots
 
The Lady Muleriders look to build on the win as they take on Northwestern Oklahoma tomorrow at 2 p.m. in Percefull Fieldhouse.