MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Mulerider Volleyball is back inside the W.T. Watson Center for the first time this season as Head Coach Alli Harrell and her Muleriders have been waiting to be back home for 317 days. The Muleriders are set to play Gulf South Conference opponent Christian Brothers for the crews first home-opener against a non-conference opponent since hosting the Dr. Margaret Downing Invitational in August of 2018. The troupe will then face Great American Conference, and in-state, foe Henderson State on Tuesday (Sep. 24).
 
Last time SAU played in front of the home crowd was against the group they are to face on Tuesday, in which Southern Arkansas claimed victory over the Reddies in four sets to the boost their seeding in the 2023 Great American Conference Tournament. In said tournament, the Muleriders faced HSU in round one that saw the Reddies handle their business against Southern Arkansas by defeating SAU 0-3.
 
While you are not supposed to talk about a team getting hot, the Muleriders are right there as they are coming off recording the longest win streak for the program since 2012 when that team accounted for a nine-game winning streak. Currently, SAU is on a six-game winning streak after they overwhelmed Ouachita Baptist in Arkadelphia on Tuesday in four sets. Southern Arkansas put up an early 2-0 lead against the Tigers which saw resistance from OUA in the third, but the final nail in the coffin was put down as SAU defeated Ouachita in four sets and at their own venue for the first time since 2015.
 
Southern Arkansas ranks towards the top of the conference in many categories such as service aces (Macie Shaver | 3^rd | 13), aces per set (Shaver | 2^nd | 0.45), total digs (Sadie Kabisch | 3^rd | 163), digs per set (Kabisch | 1^st | 5.62 | 10^th nationally). The stat to stand out amongst those is Isla Olivas' 35 total blocks that ranks her first in the league and 39^th nationally. The Fort Worth, Texas native also sits at the top of the GAC for blocks per set with 1.25 being ranked 36^th nationally.
 
Through eight matches, senior outside hitter Kayte Delong has accounted for 79 kills, which is just two kills shy of her total from 2022 over the 21 matches she played then. In 2023, the Kansas native recorded 256 after playing in just 94 of the 109 sets from last fall.
 
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS (4-4 | 0-0 GSC)
Christian Brothers' most recent match came against Minnesota State – Mankato in which the Mavericks swept the Buccaneers (25-18, 25-21, 25-21). CBU's top scoring-leader in that game was the junior Calah Jackson who put down 11 kills and 13.5 total points with a block assist and two service aces. Jackson has accounted for 72 kills thus far and has recorded a hitting percentage of 0.124.
 
Jackson is the Buccaneers current leader in scoring/attacking, but leading the conference and being ranked fourth in NCAA DII for service aces is Jordan Allen. Allen has accounted for 24 aces thus far as she is fifth nationally for her average of an ace per set.
 
Overall the Buccaneers lead in categories for the Gulf South Conference such as aces per set (11^th nationally | 2.73) and opposing hitting percentage (12^th nationally | 0.104). The teams' 71 service aces sits at 21^st in the country and is second in the GSC.
 
The Muleriders and the Buccaneers begin action inside the W.T. Watson Center on Family Day (Sep. 21) at 11:00 AM.