WICHITA FALLS, Texas - Year three for the 2023 Great American Conference Volleyball Coach of the Year is officially underway as Head Coach Alli Harrell and her Muleriders concluded their time at the Midwestern State Invitational splitting their four matches after starting the invitational 0-2 and then finishing the weekend 2-2. 

The Blue & Gold began their season versus the Panthers of Drury where they were defeated 0-3 on Friday (Sep. 6). Later that day, the Muleriders took on the invite host Midwestern State and fell one set to three. This morning's competition came from the Mustangs out of Western New Mexico who SAU managed to collect its first match triumph of the 2024 campaign. After a delayed start, Southern Arkansas faced the Adams state Grizzlies and managed to grab its second win of the day, invitational, and season. 

While the Muleriders were outscored 156 kills to 196 for the weekend, they recorded 37 fewer attack errors than the opposition with 73 to the opposing 110. The team's attack percentage came out to .159 where they averaged 10.40 kills per set. SAU bested its opponents in terms of its attack errors, but that was not it as the Muleriders recorded 41 total blocks (3 solo | 76 assists) to the competitions' 13 total blocks (2 solo | 22 assists). 

The top three kill-leaders for the weekend resulted in seniors Kayte Delong's 36 kills (43 .0 points), Carlin Whaley's 26 kills (32.5 points), and Isla Olivas' 25 kills (38.0 points). 

The Overland Park, Kansas native, Delong, ended up being the lone Mulerider with at least 100 attacks over the four contests with 2.4 kills per set and an attack percentage of .204. Olivas accounted for the team's highest attack percentage with at least 50 attacks as she recorded a .339 attack percentage (25-59). 

Defensively, one of the newest additions to the Muleriders, Sadie Kabisch saved 66 points off of attacks with 66 digs and 109 receptions (1.73 digs per set). Sophomore Brinklee Dauenhauer logged the second-most digs on the team with 29 over 12 sets averaging 2.42 digs per set. 

Four members of the Blue & Gold tallied at least ten block assists in Olivas (1 solo | 18 assists), Delong (14 assists), Lauryn Moultrie (1 solo | 12 assists), and Whaley (13 assists). 

Coach Harrell and the Muleriders are back to the grind next weekend in the Union University Volleyball invitational in Jackson, Tennessee where they will face Edward Waters (Sep. 13 | 9:00 AM), Union (Tenn.) (Sep. 13 | 1:00 PM), and Southwest Baptist (Sep. 14 | 1:00 PM)