MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Mulerider Volleyball (10-15 | 4-7 GAC) has concluded its regular season Sooner State stretch after facing Southwestern Oklahoma State (10-13 | 8-3 GAC) inside the W.T. Watson Center to wrap up this campaign's Pink Out Weekend. Southern Arkansas came up short in the endeavor, as the Bulldogs went on to sweep the Muleriders.
 
Even though SAU fell in the match, the Muleriders still had the top two scorers for the outing with Allie Cooper's 12 kills and Courtnee Morgan's 11. The two led the scoring in kills, yes, but they also led the game in points accounted for, with Cooper recording 13.0 points with two block assists and Morgan tallying 12.0 points with a solo block.
 
First Set (L, 25-18)
The Bulldogs got off to a hot start to begin the match, as SWOSU opened up play with a 5-0 lead. Southwestern Oklahoma State managed to increase its advantage to as much as eight points, but the Muleriders did not back down. The unit was able to bring the set back within four points with a SWOSU attack error for the 21-17 score. SAU was then only able to score one point with a Kendall Toliver kill before the Bulldogs went on a 3-0 stretch to cap off set one, 25-18.
 
Second Set (L, 25-17)
Early on in the second saw a different beginning. Southern Arkansas jumped out ahead first for the group's first lead of the match, and looked to add on to its lead with an apparent attack error by the Bulldogs, which would have given the Muleriders a 2-0 advantage to start the second set. After another look at the monitor with a SWOSU challenge, the ball ended up being called in for a tied ball game at 1-1. From then on, momentum shifted in the Bulldogs' favor, with the squad slowly but surely pulling away, increasing their lead to as much as eight (21-13). Southern Arkansas still showed signs of life with a Cooper kill and another attack error by the SWOSU, but Southwestern Oklahoma would not allow SAU back into the set, going on to win the set 25-17.
 
Third Set (L, 25-19)
The beginning of the third showed a much different match, as the two units scored back and forth in many different forms. After another Toliver kill to tie the set at 6-6, the Bulldogs managed to create another gap in the score with a pair of kills and attack errors to go up 10-6. Southern Arkansas brought the set back within two points with a 4-2 stretch, which involved kills by Cooper, Morgan, and Claire Johnson. The Bulldogs built back their four-point advantage, and after a SWOSU service error, Southwestern Oklahoma State constructed another eight-point deficit for the Muleriders after ripping off a 5-0 run for a 19-11 set three score. Southern Arkansas continued to gain little by little, but ended up coming short of the comeback as the Bulldogs went on to win the match with a 25-19 set three win.
 
Up Next:
The Muleriders look toward one match next week, with the group starting back up with Arkansas competition for the final stretch of the regular season. Next Thursday, Southern Arkansas will travel to Arkadelphia, Arkansas, in which the Blue and Gold will face the Ouachita Baptist Tigers for the second time this season. That match is set for a 6:00 PM start time on October 30.
 
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