Canyon, Texas – The SAU Volleyball team opened their 2019 season this afternoon as a part of the BritKare Lady Buff Classic hosted by West Texas A&M. The Muleriders came from behind in game one to win convincingly over Tuskegee before the hosts bested them in the nightcap.

Game one saw the Muleriders fall behind as far as 16-10 in the first set against the Golden Tigers, losing 25-23. The Muleriders responded by winning set two by a score of 25-8; and, sets three and four saw the Muleriders win 25-18 and 25-17, respectively.

The first win of the Lindsey Partridge era saw three upperclassmen record double-digit kills. Seven Powers and Lauren Smith buried 11 kills, with Katie Heese right behind them with 10 kills.
Freshman Morgan Schuster, making her collegiate debut, assisted 36 times in game one as the Muleriders posted a .156 attack percentage. Schuster, in addition to the assists, was second on the team with nine digs and put away two kills of her own.

The hosts were too much for the Muleriders in game two, as the Lady Buffs won 3-0, as the Muleriders scored 14, 15 and 17 points.

Powers added six more kills, while Smith and Heese added four and two respectively. Smith was the only Mulerider to carry a positive attack percentage on ten or more attempts.

Schuster chipped in 18 more assists, and tied with libero Alana Perez for most digs (9) as she added two more kills in this contest.

The Muleriders close their time out in Canyon tomorrow morning as they face St. Mary's (TX) at 10:30 a.m.