PITTSBURG, Kan. – Mulerider Volleyball opened their 2025 season on the road for the group's first tournament as they traveled to the Sunflower State for the 2025 Gorilla Classic hosted by Pittsburg State University.
Vs. Truman State (L, 3-2)
To start the season off, Southern Arkansas matched up with the Truman State Bulldogs in hopes of starting the new campaign off right with nearly a whole new cast of faces for fourth-year Head Coach Alli Harrell. SAU came out and began to do just that, not too long into the first set, as the group accounted for six unanswered points starting down 6-4. After acquiring the 10-6 advantage, the squad would only briefly surrender the lead late in the set, with the Bulldogs going up 23-22. With a three-point run to conclude the season-opening set, the Muleriders claimed set one 25-23.
Once again, TSU came out strong with an early 10-6 lead and would once again be surpassed by the Blue and Gold with another six-point run for the Muleriders to lead 12-10. After a couple of 3-0 runs by each group (Muleriders led 16-15), Truman State tacked on a four-point streak with three kills and a service ace. SAU then added three points of their own to tie at 19, which was led by a Jessica Porten kill. The set continued back-and-forth with the Bulldogs eventually going on top 24-23. To keep the Muleriders alive in the set, Nasiya Graham delivered a kill with the assistance of Jaci Moore and was followed by a Brinklee Dauenhauer kill off the assist by Porten. The second set was then capped off after a TSU attack error for the Mulerider 26-24 set two win.
For the vast majority of set three, Truman State ran the table with a quick 14-5 lead. Southern Arkansas made many efforts to come back in the third set and did just so by tying the set at 19 with an 8-1 run. However, the Bulldogs followed this up with a 6-1 run to cap off the third set and bring the match to 2-1.
Truman State kept its pace heading into the fourth set, as the Bulldogs handled business by gaining as much as a ten-point lead and never surrendering it to the Muleriders. TSU forced a fifth set with a 25-15 set four win.
While the Muleriders struck first and kept it tight throughout the final set, Truman State went on to claim the match victory with a 15-12 set five score to defeat SAU 3-2.
Vs. Missouri Western State (L, 3-0)
The Muleriders were then set for their second match of the day, and the season, as the group took on the Griffons of Missouri Western State at 2:00 PM. Southern Arkansas started the match off hot with an early 3-0 lead, and increased it to 5-1 before the Griffons surged back to tie at six. Following the Blue and Gold taking the lead back with a Dauenhauer kill (assisted by Hayden Pinard), MWSU went on 6-0 run for the 12-7 set score. From then on, the Griffons did not let up and gained as much as an eight-point advantage (24-16). After an SAU 4-0 stretch, Missouri Western was able to cap off the first set with an SAU service error, 25-20.
The second set belonged to MWSU, as the Griffons concluded the second set with a 12-point advantage and defeated SAU 25-13 for a 2-0 set lead.
Missouri Western took control of the third set much like the second and gained a ten-point lead (22-12) before the Muleriders began to storm back with a 6-0 run, bringing the deficit to four points (22-18). The Griffons added two more points with a service error and a kill with the Muleriders matching with an attack error and a kill. Despite the effort for a comeback, MWSU finalized the match with a final kill for the 25-20 score.
Next Up:
The Muleriders are set for their final two matches of the Gorilla Classic tomorrow, with the Blue and Gold taking on Lubbock Christian at 9:00 AM and the invite host in Pitt State at 2:00 PM.
