MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Muleriders are back in Columbia County and are set for the Rangers from Northwestern Oklahoma State on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. followed by the final Friday match of the regular season against Southwestern Oklahoma State at 4:00 p.m. The contests are scheduled for inside the chaotic W.T. Watson Center as Southern Arkansas concludes the Sooner State stretch.
 
Head Coach Alli O'Banion and her Muleriders are coming off a split week that saw the crew advance to 11-10 on the season with a 5-4 record in the conference. Southern Arkansas fell to Oklahoma Baptist on the road on Thursday, but showed tremendous grit in a bounce back win over the Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm for the first time since 2012.
 
WHO TO LOOK FOR
Kayte Delong continues to lead the Mulerider offense as she has totaled 167 kills thus far in the campaign with a .295 attach percentage. With 130 kills so far into the year, Jada Hudson comes up just behind the Kansas native. The Muleriders also have four others with 100+ kills in Lauryn Moultrie (124), Isla Olivas (112), Carlin Whaley (110), and Landry Rogers (109).
 
Still in the lead for assisting is the career-leader Morgan Schuster with 403 (8^th GAC) recorded in 2023. Macie Shaver has tallied 323 (14^th GAC) of her own so far. Schuster (28) and Shaver (21) also lead the team in service aces.
 
Lauryn Moultrie currently ranks second in the conference in total blocks with 72 (52^nd nationally). Of those 72, Moultrie has recorded 23 solo blocks and 49 assisted blocks. Alessia Sonzini became the new leader for digs in the club as she now has 213 to her merit.
 
Northwestern Oklahoma State (8-12 | 4-5 GAC)
The Rangers are coming off a 1-3 stretch against the Natural State opponents of the GAC as they recorded losses to Henderson State (0-3), Ouachita Baptist (1-3), and Harding (2-3). NWOSU's sole victory came against Arkansas Tech in a four-set match.
 
Northwestern Oklahoma have been the victors in the last five meetings against Southern Arkansas with the Muleriders last win over the Rangers taking place October 7, 2016 in sweeping fashion. The all-time series stands at 4-6 in favor of NWOSU.
 
Northwestern currently ranks fifth in the league in total blocks with 148 thus far. The group comes in ninth for the GAC in total attacks (2,736) which also ranks 58^th nationally. The Rangers come in tenth in the conference for total kills with 877 in 2023.
 
Erika Asencio Soriano leads the offensive charge for the Rangers as she ranks fifth in the GAC in total kills and attacks. Soriano so far has recorded 260 kills (46^th nationally) off of 742 attacks (42^nd nationally). Mariela Jimenez leads the Rangers in attack percentage with a .291 that ranks ninth in the conference. Cameron Lobb is tied for fifth in the league in service aces with 28. Brianda Diaz ranks seventh in the GAC with total digs as she has recorded 313 (67^th nationally).
 
Southwestern Oklahoma State (13-5 | 7-2 GAC)
The Bulldogs are currently riding on a five-game winning streak in which four of the matches resided in the GAC. Southwestern overcame Henderson State (3-2), Ouachita Baptist (3-2), Cameron (3-2), Arkansas Tech (3-0), and Harding (3-1).
 
SWOSU has defeated the Muleriders in the last eight matchups with the last SAU victory coming 2014 (3-1). The Bulldogs currently lead the series record 3-11.
 
Southwestern Oklahoma State currently holds the highest winning percentage out of the Great American Conference at .722. The Bulldogs rank second in total blocks (164.0 | 20^th nationally) thus far while also being second in blocks per set (2.13 | 55^th nationally). They are fifth in the conference for total kills (964 | 40^th nationally), digs (1,264 | 35^th nationally), and assists (892 | 40^th nationally).
 
Zoey Sparks currently leads the team's defensive efforts as she leads the conference in total blocks with 91 (6^th nationally) this season. Hailey Smith has recorded the fourth-most blocks in the league with 65. Fourth in the conference for total kills is Lacy Mott as she accounted for 266 (38^th nationally) the campaign. Mott is also fourth in the GAC for total attacks with 744 (41^st nationally).
 
As stated previously, the Muleriders will start their week off against the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers on Thursday, October 19 at 6:00 p.m. for the annual Dig Pink game. The following day (Friday, October 20) Southern Arkansas is set to compete with Southwestern Oklahoma State at 4:00 p.m. to conclude regular season play against the Sooner State conference opponents. For more information, check out www.MuleriderAthletics.com.