HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas volleyball team ended its season Thursday in the first round of the GAC Volleyball Championship Tournament at the Bank of the Ozarks Arena, losing to Southeastern Oklahoma in three sets (15-25, 17-25, 14-25).

"I am really proud of our team," head coach Steven Gream said. "We fell short to a good Southeastern Oklahoma team who played really well. We had two seniors who did a wonderful job for us. We had freshmen and newcomers step up for us as well. We had a tough schedule, and I am so proud of our players and the desire they had to turn the season around and finish strong."

SE (18-13) got six kills from Megan Kunkel and four kills from Emily Gentle to take the first set 25-15. The Savage Storm scored seven of the first eight points in the set on four kills, two aces and a block. After senior Amanda Monge fired a kill to bring SAU (14-18) within five at 20-15, SE would score the next five points to close out the set.

Courtney Miller and Gentle would fire four kills apiece to give the Savage Storm a 2-0 set lead, winning the second set 25-17. The Savage Storm got two kills from Ariel Sanders and a kill from Gentle to go on a 3-0 run and push the lead to 20-12.

The Lady Muleriders scored the next two points on a SE service error and Hailey McNee kill before the Savage Storm would take the next two points to bring the count to 22-14. Later in the set, a McNee kill brought the set to 23-17 in SE's favor, but the Savage Storm would steal the set after back-to-back SAU errors.

The Savage Storm swung at a .385 (13-3-26) clip and limited the Lady Muleriders to a .000 (7-7-36) attacking percentage to complete the sweep, winning the final set 25-14. Kunkel led SE with five kills in the final set.

Monge led SAU attackers with seven kills while McNee and junior Shelby Lauterbach added five kills apiece. Junior Taylor Reaume assisted on 19 attacks and sophomore Hannah Rice recorded 10 digs in the final match for the Lady Muleriders this season.