DURANT, Okla. – It was a tough afternoon in southeastern Oklahoma for the Southern Arkansas Volleyball team as the Muleriders dropped a close five-set match to New Mexico Highlands of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, before falling in three sets to heavy-hitting and unbeaten Washburn of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Conference on Friday at the South Central Classic hosted by Southeastern Oklahoma State inside Bloomer Sullivan Arena.  
 

OF NOTE | New Mexico Highlands (23-25, 25-16, 19-25, 27-25, 9-15)

• In the first set, Southern Arkansas held leads of 6-1, 11-4, and 18-11, but would be unable to hold on to the lead as the Cowboys closed on a 14-5 run to take the opening set.
• NMHU hit .345 (12-2-29), .256 (15-4-43), and .222 (6-2-18) in sets three through five, while SAU's lone .200-plus attack percentage came in a .244 hit clip in a fourth set that saw the Muleriders score four of the set's final five points after trailing 24-23 to win 27-25. Additionally, SAU pulled to within a point at 13-12 and withstood a 6-1 Cowboy run to rally back and force a fifth set.
• Three players recorded ten or more kills with sophomore Bailey Cagle leading Southern Arkansas with 13 kills, while freshmen Abby Bermudez and Ciarra Wright delivered a dozen each. Wright finished two digs shy of a double-double effort.
• Bermudez's twelve kills came at an effective .478 attack percentage. The rookie middle committed just one error in 23 attempts.
• Freshman setter Fabiola Rivera recorded her third double-double of the season with a career-best 35 assists and 15 digs. Sophomore Alana Perez contributed with 15 digs, while freshman setter Lexi Kruse chipped in with 11 assists.
• Freshman defensive specialist Camryn Bihary logged a team-high 23 digs and added three aces; her third match with three aces this season.

 OF NOTE | Washburn (12-25, 16-25, 19-25)

• Washburn entered the match as the sixth-best hitting team in the country and proved it over the next three sets of action as the Ichabods committed just six errors in 92 attempts for a match attack clip of .413, while allowing the Muleriders just 11 digs per set.
• WU did not have a player record ten or more kills, but five registered five or more, while junior outside hitter Katie Heese delivered a team-high seven kills for SAU with Wright and Cagle following with six kills apiece.
• Junior Kayley Davis led SAU with nine of the team's 33 digs. Kruse and Rivera combined for 30 assists

 

UP NEXT
The Muleriders return to action for two more matches on Saturday, September 1. SAU meets Western State Colorado at 2 p.m. and closes out play at the South Central Classic at 7 p.m. against Central Oklahoma. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.