DURANT, Okla. – The Southern Arkansas Lady Mulerider Volleyball team dropped their opening match at the South Central Classic on Friday morning in four sets to Dallas Baptist, but will return to the floor this afternoon for a matchup with Cameron University. Live video can be found here: http://www.citylinktv.com/channel/durant-mix-tv/.
 
SAU trailed 21-15 in the second set of Friday's meeting with DBU, but tallied six straight points to tie the set at 21, before connecting on the final three points of the set to even the match at 1. In the third set, the Lady Muleriders (1-2) were unable to withstand several key runs by the Lady Patriots (4-0, 4-0, 6-1) as they fell behind 2 sets to 1.
 
The final set of action in Friday's opener saw Southern Arkansas overcome a 7-1 start by DBU by producing an 11-4 run to take a 17-14 lead late. The Lady Patriots then answered with a 9-4 run to push the score to 23-21 in their favor, before three-straight Lady Mulerider points gave SAU a 24-23 lead. Threatening to end the match with set point after scoring the ensuing two points to lead 25-24, a Lady Patriot service error tied the match at 25, before Dallas Baptist scored the final two points to end the match in four sets.
 
For the third straight match and third of her young career, freshman right side hitter Morgan Gross led Southern Arkansas with 15 kills, while adding four total blocks. Senior middle hitter Alli O'Banion produced a season-high 11 kills and led the Lady Muleriders with eight total blocks; which tied a career-high for the Dos Palos, California, native. Her previous two eight block performances came in 2014 as a true freshman.
 
Freshman middle hitter Bailey Cagle added career-highs in kills (8) and service aces (4), while classmate libero Alana Perez's career-high 17 digs were tops for SAU on Friday morning. Sophomore Alexa Bass orchestrated the offense as she doled out an SAU career-high 42 assists. The transfer setter added ten digs for her first career double-double and also collected three total blocks and a service ace.
 
Southern Arkansas continues play this weekend at the South Central Classic with an afternoon matchup with Cameron at 2 p.m. The Lady Muleriders will play their final two games on Saturday highlighted by a meeting with AVCA Preseason No. 21 Central Missouri at noon to conclude weekend play. Live video links are available at www.muleriderathletics.com.