ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Southern Arkansas took a short road trip to Clark County for Halloween Eve, as Mulerider Volleyball (10-16 | 4-8 GAC) ventured to the campus of Ouachita Baptist University (22-3 | 12-0 GAC), where the group faced the reigning Great American Conference (GAC) and the lone team in the league without a conference loss. The Tigers undefeated ways held up after claiming victory over the Muleriders in a 3-1 final. Even after the loss, the Muleriders still hold up at the eighth spot in the conference heading into the group's final stretch of the regular season.
Southern Arkansas had a pair of players with 10+ kills in the matchup with Brinklee Dauenhauer's 13 and Kendall Toliver's 12. Overall in the match, the Blue and Gold recorded 52 kills to the Tigers' 50. Producing the best attack percentage among the group, with at least 10 attacks, was freshman Addy Vollmer. The freshman from Krum, Texas had a night recording eight kills on 17 attacks with just three errors. Those stats accounted for a .294 hitting percentage for the Lone Star native.
Nearly tying her career-best, and the program's second-most digs in a game, was Sadie Kabisch. The senior out of Henrietta, Texas tallied up to 43 digs in the four sets, just one shy of her 44 dig five-set game against Southeastern Oklahoma State (Oct. 9) earlier this season. Allie Cooper also had a great outing on defense with the junior recording six total blocks, with five of those being assists.
First Set (L, 25-19)
After a back-and-forth start to the match, the two groups were tied at four apiece. Ouachita then proceeded to break open the outing with a 6-2 run to go up 10-6. Southern Arkansas brought the set back within two points after kills by Dauenhauer and Cooper, but the Tigers spread their lead back up to five points with a 3-0 stretch, 13-8. From then on, Ouachita controlled the remainder of the opening set, going up by as much as nine points (23-14). The Muleriders then went on a 4-0 run to bring the set back within five, but the lead proved to be too much for SAU as Ouachita surrendered just one more to the Blue and Gold and won the opening set 25-19.
Second Set (W, 29-27)
The following set saw the Muleriders go up quick, as the group jumped on the Tigers with a 4-2 advantage early on in the set. Ouachita did not let that SAU lead last too long though, as the Tigers jumped back on top with a 5-0 stretch to go up 7-4. OUA then went on to produce what looked like another controlled set with another comfortable lead at 13-6. SAU stayed in the outing though with the help of six Ouachita errors and two Mulerider kills, tying the set at 14 all. From then on, it was a dog fight with the two throwing blows back-and-forth, up until the Muleriders seemed to have gained all of the momentum on four points, with three on serves (error, ace, ace) and a Ouachita attack error, to go up 21-17. The Tigers clawed their way way back on a 4-1 stretch to bring the set back within one point (22-21), and eventually tying the bout at 23 all. With the groups tying the set at 24 all, all who were watching knew they had a long one in the second set. The two units traded points up until being tied at 27 all, as Southern Arkansas finally won the set over the Tigers at 29-27.
Third Set (L, 25-20)
The next set saw another parallel approach to its beginning, as Ouachita started hot early before surrendering a large Mulerider run for the Blue and Gold to take the lead. OUA started the third with an 8-4 advantage, and then proceeded to give up five points unanswered to the Muleriders for the group to take a 9-8 lead. OUA then took their lead right back with a 3-1 stretch, 12-10, and after a few traded points, the Tigers blew the set wide open with a 8-0 run, 22-13. Southern Arkansas managed to make a battle out of the remainder of the set with a 7-2 run, but the effort was all for not as the Tigers claimed the third at 25-20.
Fourth Set (L, 25-10)
The fourth, and final, set of the night ended up being all Tigers, as the group had its hottest start yet with an 8-2 advantage. The squad eventually stretched its lead to its most of the match at 16 points with a 24-9 lead. After another SAU point, the Tigers countered with one of their own to win the match with a 25-10 fourth set.
Up Next:
The Muleriders are back home next Tuesday (Nov. 4) with the Henderson State Reddies coming to town for a battle in the W.T. Watson Center.
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.
