MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Mulerider Volleyball begins the month of October in dominant fashion as Southern Arkansas blooms in midway through the second set against in-state Great American Conference rival, the Arkansas-Monticello Cotton Blossoms.
The Muleriders outscored the Blossoms in kills 47-39 while also having a hitting percentage of .272 to the UAM .169. Southern Arkansas' errors numbered at 13 to the Monticello 18.
Leading the offense for the Muleriders was senior outside hitter
Kayte Delong as she posted 11 kills/points on 28 attacks with four errors (.250). Of those with at least ten attacks, the Magnolia native
Carlin Whaley knocked down nine kills on 21 attacks with no errors and produced an attack percentage of .429. The senior also recorded a solo block to bring her point total to ten.
Landry Rogers ended up being the block leader for the troupe as the senior put back two blocks on her own with one assisted.
Sadie Kabisch continues to lead the charge for digs with 21 this game. Senior setter
Macie Shaver assisted in 23 kills on the night as the team's leader in assists.
A very tight first set is what was seen in the W.T. Watson Center to begin volleyball in breast cancer awareness month as the Cotton Blossoms stuck with the Muleriders the entire set even going down by as much as seven. SAU looked to close the opening set with a 23-16 lead, but was then countered by a UAM 7-1 run to bring the set within one point at 24-23 (SAU on top). The Muleriders would escape the opening scare as Arkansas-Monticello's Holiday Ellis would serve the ball just a bit too far beyond the boundaries.
In the second set, the Blossoms came out as hot as they left the first as they jumped out to an early 7-4 advantage against the Muleriders. Southern Arkansas needed to work its way back to an even set, and they did at seven. UAM then pushed the gas again with a 4-0 run to increase the lead 11-7. The Blue & Gold retaliated soon after with a 5-0 rally to obtain the lead for the first time in the set at 12-11. The Muleriders lost the lead just once more as they were overtaken 17-16, now in a shootout. Southern Arkansas allowed just four more points in the second, as they capped the set off with a run of 9-4.
The Muleriders had just taken their foot off the break, and the there was no looking back as Southern Arkansas opened set three with an 8-0 lead. This lead would never be eclipsed by the Blossoms, just made narrower as UAM brought the set back within two at 13-11. From that point on though, SAU ran away with the set and the match by capping the night off with a 12-4 run.
The Muleriders are back in action Thursday, October 3, in Searcy, Arkansas when Southern Arkansas travels to match up with the Harding Bisons at 6:00 PM.
