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Southern Arkansas University Athletics

Official Athletics Site of the Southern Arkansas University Muleriders
SAU celebration vs. Albany State
SAU Communications
0
Ouachita Baptist OUA 7-10,2-3 GAC
3
Winner Southern Ark. SA 9-8,3-2 GAC
Ouachita Baptist OUA
7-10,2-3 GAC
0
Final
3
Southern Ark. SA
9-8,3-2 GAC
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Ouachita Baptist OUA 20 15 22 (0)
Southern Ark. SA 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | By: Jonathan Briggs

Muleriders sweep Ouachita Baptist for third GAC triumph

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Following the road loss to Henderson State, Head Coach Alli O'Banion regrouped her Muleriders to come back home and take care of business. That is exactly what Southern Arkansas did inside the W.T. Watson Center as SAU got the brooms out to sweep the Ouachita Baptist Tigers Thursday night.
 
For just the second time in the last 15 meetings, the Muleriders prevailed against the Tigers from Clark County. The night's final score marked the first time that Southern Arkansas shutout Ouachita Baptist since 2010 when SAU accomplished the feat twice in the campaign.
 
In the contest, the Muleriders recorded their highest attack percentage in 2023 and their highest under Coach O'Banion (.355). The percentage is also the loftiest since sweeping Central Baptist on October 17, 2017 (.356) while also being the largest percentage over an NCAA program since October 18, 2016 when Southern Arkansas swept Grambling State (.409).
 
STAT LEADERS
Leading the offensive charge for SAU were juniors Kayte Delong (16.0 points) and Carlin Whaley (9.5 points) as Delong recorded 14 kills (career-high) with an attack percentage of .481 for her third double-digit kill match of the season. Whaley recorded eight kills on the night. Assisting the offensive attack were setters Morgan Schuster and Macie Shaver in which Schuster tallied 22 assists for her fifth 20+ assist match of 2023. The junior Shaver recorded 17 of her own assists. Schuster also led her group with four service aces for her sixth-career match with four of the statistic. Lauryn Moultrie led the game in total blocks as she recorded eight (2 solo | 6 assisted) for a new career-high as a Mulerider. Alessia Sonzini tallied up 17 digs inside the W.T. Watson Center while Schuster recorded ten of her own. 
 
FIRST SET
The opening set saw back-and-forth play from both Natural State rivals as Ouachita Baptist advanced its lead to a 15-19 advantage. A kill from the Magnolia, Arkansas native Whaley ended the deficit as Schuster's serve led the Muleriders to win set one with a 9-1 run.
 
SECOND SET
Southern Arkansas carried its momentum right over into the next set with a quick 9-3 lead over the Tigers. Ouachita Baptist closed the gap down to a two-point deficit at 15-13, but was immediately snuffed out by Whaley with consecutive kills followed by an OUA attack error for an 18-13 lead. The Tigers would be able to add two more to their count, but was ultimately defeated when the Muleriders called for a 5-0 run commenced by yet another Whaley kill.
 
THIRD SET
The beginning of the final set saw an evenly-matched competition between the two squads. Following a 5-5 set three, Southern Arkansas lit up the court with a 7-0 run that started off with a Delong kill. Succeeding the Overland Park, Kansas native's point, the Muleriders would not give their lead up and would then cruise to a 25-22 set three victory to sweep the Tigers for the ninth time in the 21st century and the fifth-time in front of the home crowd.
 
NEXT MATCHUP
The Muleriders continue their stay at home as they now prepare for the Savage Storm out of Southeastern Oklahoma State on Thursday, October 5 at 6:00 p.m. The following day, Southern Arkansas will face-off against the East Central Tigers inside the W.T. Watson Center at 4:00 p.m. For more information on these and other upcoming events, check out www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
 
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