BETHANY, Okla. — Mulerider Volleyball finished up their trip to the Sooner State after traveling and battling it out with the Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm. Southern Arkansas sought a get back after the previous evening's 3-1 loss at Oklahoma Baptist, while SNU was coming off of its second conference win with a sweep against Arkansas-Monticello. After a lengthy, and drawn out match, the Crimson Storm ended up coming on top with a five-set win over the Muleriders.
A pair of members in the Blue and Gold ended up leading the team and the game with kills, as juniors Allie Cooper and Brinklee Dauenhauer each recorded 17 kills. Just three kills shy of the two, and still would have led the game if not for the two Texans, was Claire Johnson with 14 kills. Cooper was also responsible for the best attack percentage from all on the floor with a .452 hitting percentage.
First Set (L, 26-24)
The opening set of the match saw an even contest early on up until the Crimson Storm took a six-point lead, going up 20-14. Southern Arkansas countered right back with a 6-0 run to tie the set at 20-20. The Muleriders nearly claimed the opening set after reaching set point first, up 24-22. Southern Nazarene had different plans though, as the Crimson Storm went on a 4-0 stretch to claim the first set.
Second Set (W, 25-23)
The Muleriders looked for a bounce back set in the second set, and did just that with a 12-8 lead quickly with a four-point run. SAU then stretched its lead to five points, up 23-18. With a four-point stretch for the Crimson Storm, the group sought another late set comeback as the Muleriders found themselves in the same position as the previous set, up 24-22. Claire Johnson silenced the comeback though with a kill from the assist of Hayden Pinard.
Third Set (W, 25-18)
Southern Arkansas kept up that momentum built up in the second set as the group jumped out to an 8-3 advantage. The Muleriders handled business for the remainder of the set, even extending their lead to as much as seven points. SAU went on to win set three and claim an advantage in the match, 25-18.
Fourth Set (L, 25-22)
Backed into a corner, the Crimson Storm emerged offensively in the fourth, as the group started off the following set with a 10-4 lead and never lost a hold of it, even leading by as much as eight points. Southern Arkansas attempted a late set comeback from down eight with a 7-1 run, but were upended by SNU's Kate Wright, sending the match to a fifth set with a kill.
Fifth Set (L, 15-8)
After starting the set up 3-0, the Muleriders seemed to have held control of the match, but the Crimson Storm did not go away so easily. SNU countered Southern Arkansas' strong start with an even stronger stretch, scoring five points unanswered and going up 6-4. The set would only be tied after this, and Southern Nazarene went on to win the set 15-8.
Next Up:
The Muleriders stay on the road to start next weekend with a trip to Shreveport, Louisiana for a match against Centenary College at 6:00 PM next Tuesday (October 21).
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