ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas Lady Mulerider Volleyball team picked up their first Great American Conference win of the season with a 3-0 defeat (25-17, 25-14, 25-18) of Henderson State on Thursday evening inside the Duke Wells Center in Arkadelphia.
 
Junior Gillian Newman recorded seven blocks, the most for a Lady Mulerider this season, while Southern Arkansas (5-7, 1-2 GAC) attacked at an average clip of .300 in the three sets. Senior setter Taylor Reaume continued to facilitate the offense as she recorded 33 of SAU's 36 assists as junior Serena LeDuff delivered on 13 kills and senior Shelby Lauterbach added 11.
 
In the opening frame, Southern Arkansas jumped out on a 12-3 run that included a trio of kills from Lauterbach. The Lady Muleriders would have to suppress a 7-1 Reddie stretch that cut the SAU lead to six, 20-14, before Southern Arkansas closed out the opening set with a kill from Newman.
 
The momentum carried over into the second set and the defense helped build a 12-2 advantage as the Reddies hit at -.227 in the second set, while Southern Arkansas collected two blocks and took advantage of ten total HSU errors to take the second set 25-14.
 
In what would be the final set of the match, the Lady Muleriders would pull away late as LeDuff and freshman Aarika Froehlich added a kill apiece to close the door on a Reddies team that had pulled the decisive third set to within four at 22-18.
 
Junior Hannah Rice led nine Lady Muleriders with a game-high 16 digs. LeDuff's 29 total attempts and 13 kills were the most for a Lady Mulerider in a three-set match so far this year.
 
Before turning their attention to the University of Arkansas-Monticello in a GAC affair on Tuesday evening, September 29, the Lady Muleriders will travel to Conway to play NAIA-affiliated Central Baptist College on Saturday, September 26 at 5 p.m.