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MATCHÂ NOTES (PDF)Â | Â
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
FIRST SERVE
Southern Arkansas enters the final tournament weekend of the 2017 season as it prepares for four games at the Hilltopper Classic hosted by St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas.
Three of the four SAU opponents this weekend will serve as in-region contests, while the tournament serves as the Lady Muleriders (3-4) last tune-up before beginning Great American Conference play on Tuesday, September 12.
The Lady Muleriders begin play on Friday with an 11 a.m. first serve against host St. Edward's (3-1) and will meet Texas-Permian Basin (2-2) at 3 p.m. On Saturday, the action begins at 10 a.m. against Black Hills State (1-3), before concluding tourney play at 2 p.m. with Midwestern State (2-2).
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Through seven games, SAU is averaging 10.8 kills per set and is attacking at a team-effort .168. Six Lady Muleriders have recorded 25 or more kills with three players hitting better than .225. Sophomore setter
Alexa Bass has aided in that kill distribution as she leads the club with 151 assists at 6.29 per set.
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Freshman right side hitter
Morgan Gross leads the team in kills (52) and service aces (14), while sophomore defensive specialist
Whitney Brown paces the back court with 62 digs.Â
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Senior middle hitter
Alli O'Banion's 26 total blocks are a team-best and are the most through the first seven games of a season in the Dos Palos, California, native's four-year career. Three additional players have recorded 10 or more total blocks this season as Southern Arkansas' total blocks are up in year two under head coach
Britney Davis. The Lady Muleriders' ten total blocks in their win over Central Baptist marked the third match this season with double-digit blocks after managing just one double-digit block performance as a team in 30 games last season.
In comparison, SAU averaged 1.1 blocks per set a season ago and are currently averaging 1.9 blocks per set in 2017. Additionally, team service aces are up compared to last season as this year's club currently averages 1.8 service aces per set compared to last season's average of just 1.1.
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Fans can follow live stats and live video of each of Southern Arkansas' four matches in Austin through links found under the volleyball schedule tab on www.muleriderathletics.com. Match recaps and stats will be made available on www.muleriderathletics.com as soon as possible following the matches.Â
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SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
ST. EDWARD'S
St. Edward's enters the weekend at 3-1 overall after opening the season at the Eckerd College Invitational. The Hilltoppers, under second-year head coach Mary DeJute, have recorded wins over Notre Dame College, Kentucky Wesleyan College, and West Georgia. SEU is led by Katie Martin (48 kills) and Alexa McAndrew (32 kills) on the frontline, while Martin's 59 digs are second to Morgan Beckham's 71 digs at 5.46 per set. Julia Hartley owns 67 assists and Mikayla Parker is the team-leader in total blocks with 8.0.
TEXAS-PERMIAN BASIN
UT-Permian Basin is currently 2-2 on the season entering this weekend's play. The Falcons own wins over the GAC's Southwestern Oklahoma State (3-2) and the RMAC's Colorado State-Pueblo (3-0). UTPB, under head coach Tim Loesch, averages 10.7 kills per set at a .124 attack percentage and are led by Rachel Dixon's team-high 33 kills and Caitlyn Guajardo's 32 kills. Sarah Vasquez paces the defense with 73 digs and Kiera Granado leads the offense with 129 assists at 8.60 assists per set.Â
BLACK HILLS STATE
BHSU defeated Arkansas-Fort Smith in five sets for their first win of the season and are currently 1-3 on the year. Head Coach Kristin Carmichael, in her fourth season at the helm of the Yellow Jacket program, played for Blacks Hills State from 2006-09 where she became a three-time NAIA All-American. On the court, the Yellow Jackets have been led by four players with 30 or more kills highlighted by Cheyenne Palu's 40 kills in 17 sets. Palu also paces BHSU with 17.0 total blocks. Laurel Lech is the team's assist leader with 151 and Sydney Ederhoff's 78 digs are a team-best.
MIDWESTERN STATE
Midwestern State posted a 2-2 record at the Tarleton Invitational to begin the season and posted wins against the GLVC's Maryville (3-0) and the MIAA's Southwest Baptist (3-1). Five players have logged 20 or more kills this season led by Meghan Bettis' 32 kills in 14 sets played. Eight players have registered ten or more digs paced by Aerielle Edwards' 61 digs. Kristan Aduddell orchestrates the offense with 140 assists at 10 assists per set. The Mustangs are coached by Natalie Burton, who is in her third year at MSU.
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PICKED ELEVENTH IN GAC
The Southern Arkansas Lady Muleriders were picked to finish in 11th place this fall by the league's head coaches in the annual Great American Conference Preseason Coach's Poll. SAU looks to bounce back after a 9-21 campaign a year ago as they return eight lettermen and a pair of starters, while featuring a talented recruiting class that includes five "ready-to-play" freshmen and two "quick-impact" transfers.
SECOND TIME AROUND
SAU head coach
Britney Davis prepares for her second season at the helm of the Lady Mulerider Volleyball program, which went 9-21 in Davis' first year. Twelve of SAU's 15 players were recruited by Davis, while returning All-GAC Honorable Mention selection
Alli O'Banion and senior classmate
Savannah Pillow have been with Davis since the latter's two year stint as a graduate assistant for the program.Â
NEW FACES IMPACTING EARLY
Through just seven games in 2017, several newcomers have impacted the SAU program early. Freshman right side hitter
Morgan Gross leads the team in kills (53), kills per set (2.12), and is third in attack percentage behind a pair of rookie classmates: right side hitter
Madi Pfeifer (25 kills | .333) and middle hitter
Bailey Cagle (39 kills | .250). The trio has combined for 28 total blocks led by Cagle's dozen, which is the second-most on the team, while Gross paces the squad with 14 service aces and owns the second-most digs with 52. Freshman
Alana Perez has seen quality time as the libero and has registered 49 digs in 19 sets played. Sophomore setter
Alexa Bass orchestrates the offense in her first year as a Lady Mulerider as she leads the team in assists with 151 at 6.29 assists per set.Â
SCHEDULE OUTLOOK
Southern Arkansas opened the 2017 season at 3-4 and owns wins over Williams Baptist, Texas A&M International and Central Baptist. Following this weekend's SEU Hilltopper Classic, the Lady Muleriders return to Magnolia for a league-clash with Arkansas Tech on September 12 inside the W.T. Watson Center. That Tuesday night affair will mark the beginning of five-straight home games with six of their next eight games to be played in Magnolia. In that five-game stretch, the Lady Muleriders will play three games at home as part of the inaugural Dr. Margaret Downing Invitational; the first SAU-hosted Volleyball event in a dozen years.
In mid-October, fans will be treated to a three-game home stand that includes a pair of league meetings with Oklahoma Baptist and reigning GAC Tournament Champion Southern Nazarene and a non-conference matchup with Central Baptist. Late down the stretch, SAU will end the regular season exactly how it started it: on the road.
The Lady Muleriders play five of their final seven games, all league contests, away from the W.T. Watson Center, before the GAC Tournament on November 16-18.
HOT SPRINGS HOPEFUL
After narrowly missing out on the eighth and final spot in the 2016 Great American Conference Tournament at Bank of the Ozarks Arena in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the Lady Muleriders have their eyes set on trip back to the Spa City, where in 2015 they reached the tournament championship match, before falling in four sets to Southwestern Oklahoma State. It marked the first tournament championship match the program had competed in since joining the GAC in 2011.
