MAGNOLIA, Ark. – This weekend in Mulerider Country presents a special one, specifically inside the W.T. Watson Center on Thursday and Friday evening. This weekend, Mulerider Volleyball (9-14 | 3-6 GAC) is hosting its annual Pink Out Weekend, where fans are encouraged to wear pink as a show of support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. On Thursday, the Muleriders will face the Rangers of Northwestern Oklahoma State (3-17 | 1-8 GAC) for a 6:00 PM first serve. The group will then take on the Southwestern Oklahoma State Bulldogs (8-13 | 6-3 GAC) on Friday for a 4:00 PM start.
 
A Look at SAU
Still leading the charge for the Muleriders' offense is Brinklee Dauenhauer. The junior out of Springtown, Texas, has accounted for 238 kills with 2.87 per set. Dauenhauer's kills currently rank her 3^rd in the Great American Conference (GAC). The junior has produced nearly identical numbers in terms of digs, as Dauenhauer has accounted for 237 and is second on the team for digs.
 
Speaking of digs, leading the group in the statistic is senior libero Sadie Kabisch, who recently just surpassed the 1,000 dig threshold in her career with the Blue and Gold (1,013). As of right now, the native of Henrietta, Texas, leads SAU in digs with 479, and ranks 3^rd in DII for the amount, as well as ranking 2^nd in the GAC. In terms of digs per set, Kabisch ranks 6^th in DII with 5.78 per set and is 3^rd in the GAC.
 
As a group, the Muleriders rank highly in many categories for both the Great American Conference and NCAA DII. The unit ranks first in the league for total team assists with 1,025 (3^rd DII), total team kills with 1,094 (2^nd DII), and total team attacks with 3,333 (2^nd DII). SAU is also 2^nd in the conference for total team attacks per set with 38.31 (25^th DII) and total team digs with 1,542 (3^rd DII).
 
SAU vs. NWOSU | Oct. 23 | 6:00 PM
13th Meeting, NWOSU leads 7-5
First Meeting: 9/29/2012 - 3-1 SAU win (Alva, Okla.)
Last Meeting: 10/11/2024 - 3-1 NWOSU win (Alva, Okla.)
Streak: W1 NWOSU
Northwestern Oklahoma State is in search of a win, as the Rangers have dropped their last six outing, and have dropped 10 of their last 12 outings. The group looks for its second win in the GAC, as the hunt for the top eight spots is still in play for a position in the 2025 Great American Conference Championship Tournament.
 
Leading the Rangers in scoring so far this season has been Ece Ozdemir. The Redshirt Senior has accounted for 181 kills along with 2.83 per set. She is also the group's leader for service aces with her 24.
 
NWOSU is led in digs by Jadyn Padilla's 238 digs and her average of 3.40 per set. The Rangers house five members with at least 100 digs this season. Staying on the defensive side, at the net, NWOSU is led by Mikayla White's 26 total blocks and her 21 block assists.
 
Not only is White playing strong defense at the net, but the senior from Paola, Kansas, also leads the team in assists with 453. White currently sits in sixth place for the GAC in assists and is fifth in the league for assists per set with 6.76.
 
SAU vs. SWOSU | Oct. 24 | 4:00 PM
17th Meeting, SWOSU leads 12-4
First Meeting: 9/5/2009 - 3-0 SWOSU win (Weatherford, Okla.)
Last Meeting: 10/10/2024 - 3-1 SWOSU win (Weatherford, Okla.)
Streak: W1 SWOSU
 
The Muleriders and the Bulldogs have traded blows the past two seasons, as the last time SWOSU ventured to Magnolia, Southern Arkansas defeated the group in five sets. Last season, the Muleriders went to Weatherford, where the Bulldogs got right back at the Blue and Gold with a four-set win. Southwestern Oklahoma State is currently split at .500 against Arkansas opponents after sweeping Harding just one day after dropping their outing to Arkansas Tech in four sets.
 
While the team has a negative overall record at 8-13, the unit is still having an impressive season in conference play with a 6-3 record.
 
Nearly two Bulldogs lead the charge for their team in kills, as Hailey Smith has recorded 209 thus far, and Paris Patterson is responsible for 207. Even though Patterson has fewer kills, she leads the team in kills per set with 2.69 to Smith's 2.68. Smith actually leads the group in service aces with 21 so far this year.
 
The SWOSU offense is primarily orchestrated by Cameron Turner, the league's third-highest recorder of assists. So far this campaign, Turner is responsible for 552 assists and averages 7.67.
 
The Bulldogs have really been impressive on the defensive side of the net, as the group sees Jada Permenter lead the squad in digs with 393, while averaging 5.04 per set. The real side of the Bulldog defense that has been impressive is the group's prowess at the net. SWOSU leads not only the Great American Conference in blocks, but the entirety of Division II with 222.0 total blocks. Katia Blanchat leads the group in blocks, as she is nearly to the century mark with her 98.0 blocks. Blanchat not only leads her team, but is also the GAC's leader for total blocks and ranks 9^th nationally for the same stat. The Bulldogs also have two more members with 80.0+ blocks this season, with Sydnee Winfrey recording 93.0 (2^nd GAC | 17^th DII) and Hailey Smith accounting for 82.0 (4^th GAC | 32^nd DII).
 
Broadcast Information
Both matches will be broadcast live on HudlTV. Click here for the Southern Arkansas University team site to watch all the action.
 
To buy tickets for this weekend, click here.
 
Follow the Muleriders
For all the latest information on Mulerider Athletics, visit MuleriderAthletics.com. For up-to-date updates, follow the Muleriders on X, Instagram, and Facebook.