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Southern Arkansas University Athletics

Official Athletics Site of the Southern Arkansas University Muleriders
VB Celebration
Kenli Barner
1
Arkansas Tech ATU 5-2,5-2 GAC
3
Winner Southern Ark. SA 1-6,1-6 GAC
Arkansas Tech ATU
5-2,5-2 GAC
1
Final
3
Southern Ark. SA
1-6,1-6 GAC
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Arkansas Tech ATU 24 25 21 23 (1)
Southern Ark. SA 26 17 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | Nick Rackley

Muleriders Earn First Win in Upset of #18 Arkansas Tech

Win is First One over a Ranked Opponent in Division II Era

MAGNOLIA – In what was a makeup from a matchup originally scheduled for February 16th, the SAU Volleyball team hosted #18 Arkansas Tech inside the W. T. Watson Center for the teams' first matchup against one another.

Entering the match, the Muleriders had lost their past eight contests to the Golden Suns, with the Muleriders not even taking a single set in any of those games. This win is also the Muleriders' first win over a ranked opponent in the Division II era.

The back-and-forth first set culminated in a pair of kills from senior Morgan Gross, who finished with nine kills and an attack percentage of .263. The Muleriders took set one 26-24.

The first set also included a 6-0 Muleriders run that saw four consecutive kills by Victoria White. White finished with a career-high 19 kills and an attack percentage of .243.

The Golden Suns took set two, and another back-and-forth set ensued in set three before a pair of attack errors as well as a kill from Abby Bermudez clinched a 25-21 set victory.

A tight fourth set saw the set even at 23-all. A Gross kill and a Tech ball-handling error clinched the match and the first win of the season.

For the match, the Muleriders outhit the visitors with 49 kills to 41, as well as an attack percentage of .113 versus Tech's .110.

The Muleriders also out-blocked the Suns 9-8, out-assisted them 47-35 and out-dug them by 20, 75-55.

In addition to White's 19 kills and Gross' 9, Lauren Smith added nine kills of her own, as well as three block assists.

Landry Rogers had six kills of her own, as well as a solo block and a pair of block assists, while Abby Bermudez was good for five kills and five block assists, as well as eight digs.

Morgan Schuster assisted a game-high 44 times, recording a double-double with 10 digs of her own; libero Brianna Nipper had a pair of service aces as well as a game-high 22 digs; and Olivia Hessmann, making her Mulerider debut, added ten digs of her own.

This win is the Muleriders' first win since October of 2019 over East Central, and their first home win in 881 days, when they beat East Central on October 12th, 2018. This win is also head coach Lindsey Parks' first win inside the W. T. Watson Center.

The Muleriders are back in action on Tuesday when they host #7 Harding.
 
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