MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas Lady Mulerider Volleyball team prepares for their Great American Conference opener this Tuesday as they travel to Russellville to battle the league's preseason number one in Arkansas Tech. First-serve for the Golden Suns home opener from inside Tucker Coliseum is slated for 6 p.m.
 
RECORDS
 
Southern Arkansas (3-5, 0-0 GAC)
Arkansas Tech (5-3, 0-0 GAC)
 
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
 

• Three players have produced 80 or more kills for Lady Muleriders led by junior Alexia Southern's 86 kills at a team-leading 2.69 kills per set. Junior Alli O'Banion (85 kills) paces the club with an attack percentage of .256.
• Freshman Katy Cooper is making a big impact for Southern Arkansas in her first collegiate season as she leads the squad with 214 assists, while owning the sixth-best assists per set clip in the GAC at 8.92.
• After leading the league as a team in service aces a year ago, the Lady Muleriders currently have a pair of players in the top-five of the category as seniors Paige Mays (4^th | 15; 0.47 per set) and Serena LeDuff (5^th | 14; 0.44 per set).
• Mays is also third in the GAC in total digs (147) and fifth in digs per set with 4.59. LeDuff is second on the team in total digs with 109 at 3.41 per set.
• Senior Kaitlyn Reiner has produced a team-leading 17.0 total blocks at 0.53 blocks per set, while Southern Arkansas boasts the third-lowest opponent hitting percentage in the league at a mark of .170.
• In the GAC, Southern Arkansas is ranked first in service aces (49), first  in digs (551), second in service aces per set (1.53), third in digs per set (17.22), third in opponent hitting percentage (.170), fifth in assists (351), fifth in kills (376), seventh in assists per set (10.97), seventh in kills per set (11.75), seventh in hitting percentage (.166), eleventh in blocks (32.0) and twelfth in blocks per set (1.00).

                                                          
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN SUNS
 

• Hunter Eshnaur leads the Golden Suns in kills (99), kills per set (3.19), and with a GAC-leading 17 service aces, while also owning the second-most digs (72) and second-best digs per set (2.97) mark for Arkansas Tech. Eshnaur is fourth in the GAC in points per set with 3.92.
• Madison Nagel is sixth in the league in digs per set at 4.52 to lead Arkansas Tech.
• McCall Wilkins paces ATU with 25.0 total blocks at .81 per set, while Lauren Rodemers is tops on the team in blocks per set at .82 and second in the conference in hitting percentage at .367.
• Sarah Rosinke (213) and Amanda Milnick (103) are one and two respectively in assists for the Golden Suns.
• In the GAC, Arkansas Tech is ranked third in service aces (46), third in assists (364), third in service aces per set (1.48), third in hitting percentage (.204), fourth in kills (391), fifth in opponent hitting percentage (.174), fifth in assists per set (11.74), fifth in kills per set (12.61), seventh in digs per set (15.35), seventh in blocks (50.0), eighth in digs (476) and eighth in blocks per set (1.61).

 
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
 

• November 20, 2015 (GAC Tournament) – SAU in four sets (21-25,25-22,25-20,25-23)
• November 5, 2015 – ATU in straight sets (25-16,26-24,25-22)
• September 15, 2015 – ATU in five sets (19-25,25-12,25-19,20-25,15-13)
• October 9, 2014 – ATU in straight sets (25-13,25-20,25-18)
• November 21, 2013 (GAC Tournament) – ATU in straight sets (25-23,25-19,25-20)   

 
FOLLOW ALONG

• Live stats for the matchup are available here: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=142441, while live audio will also be available: http://mixlr.com/atuathletics/.  
• Be sure to visit http://www.muleriderathletics.com/index.aspx?path=wvball for continuing coverage of Lady Mulerider Volleyball including pre- and post-game updates and the coach's show with Head Coach Britney Davis.
• Check out http://greatamericanconference.com/index.aspx?path=wvball for league-wide coverage of Great American Conference Volleyball.