Commerce, Texas – The Southern Arkansas volleyball squad fell in straight sets, 17-25, 10-25, 18-25, in its first match of the A&M-Commerce Tournament Friday afternoon versus the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith.
 
SAU falls to 0-6 overall, while UAFS, who was receiving votes in the Division II AVCA Coaches Poll before the match, improved to 7-1 overall.
 
Facing a 7-13 deficit in the first set, the Lady Muleriders scored three consecutive points via a Logan Tolbert kill and back-to-back aces from sophomore Hannah Rice. The Lady Lions took advantage of a .132 (13-38-8) SAU attacking percentage and scored 12 of the next 16 points to close out the set.
 
In the second set, SAU utilized two Alli O'Banion and three Hailey McNee kills to keep the set close at 5-6. UAFS rallied around strong service and 16 kills, complimented by a .533 (16-30-0) attacking percentage, to score 19 of the set's final 25 points. Tolbert again had an efficient set, tallying two kills on four attempts with no attacking errors.
 
Down 13-19 in the third set, The Lady Muleriders scored four straight points on Amanda Monge and McNee kills and two Lady Lion attacking errors to tighten the deficit to 17-19. The teams traded points before UAFS closed out the game by scoring the last five points with four kills, two apiece from Katarina Krstonosic and Payton Hamilton.
 
McNee tallied a team-high nine kills, O'Banion contributed seven kills, and Monge and Tolbert added six kills apiece. Tolbert had the most efficient game, finishing with a .308 (6-13-2) attacking percentage Junior Taylor Reaume set a season-high 32 assists.
 
The Lady Muleriders return to the court for their second game of the day against host A&M-Commerce at 3 p.m. CT in Lion Fieldhouse.