WEATHERFORD, Okla. — Southern Arkansas Volleyball came up just short in a five-set Great American Conference battle on Friday afternoon, falling 3-2 to Southwestern Oklahoma State at the Pioneer Event Center. The Muleriders traded momentum with the Bulldogs throughout the match, answering a first-set loss with a dominant second-set performance and later forcing a decisive fifth set before Southwestern edged out the 15-13 decision.
Allie Cooper, led the Mulerider offense with a match-high 14 kills while hitting .303 and adding five total blocks. Peighton Killeen finished with 10 kills, while Jessica Porten added nine kills and hit an efficient .421. Southern Arkansas also made an impact from the service line, recording 12 aces to Southwestern's six.
Kendall Toliver paced the defensive effort with 24 digs and tied Hayden Pinard for the team lead in service aces with three apiece. Pinard directed the offense with 30 assists, while Cooper and Porten contributed three and two total blocks, respectively.
Set One (L, 25-21)
The opening set featured an early back-and-forth battle, with Southern Arkansas finding points through Cooper and Charley Walker at the net. The Muleriders used a block from Walker and Cooper to gain an early edge, while Kate Schofield helped spark the offense with a service ace and a kill from Addy Vollmer. Southwestern gradually gained control, however, using a productive stretch to build separation in the middle of the set. SAU continued to battle late, with Killeen and Vollmer providing kills to help trim the deficit, and even after recording a late 9-2 stretch, the Bulldogs held on to take the opening frame, 25-21.
Set Two (W, 25-15)
Southern Arkansas answered emphatically in the second set, turning a competitive start into a commanding victory. After the teams traded points early, the Muleriders began to pull away behind a balanced offensive effort and pressure from the service line. With the score at 11-10, SAU took control, putting together a decisive 11-1 run to move ahead 22-11. Toliver contributed two service aces during the surge, while Maddie McSpadden and Courtnee Morgan delivered key kills. The Muleriders hit .296 in the set while limiting Southwestern to a .031 hitting percentage, evening the match at one set apiece with a 25-15 win.
Set Three (L, 25-17)
The Bulldogs responded in the third set, finding their rhythm offensively and limiting the Muleriders' opportunities to sustain rallies. Southwestern built an early advantage and continued to add to it through the middle portion of the frame, taking advantage of attack errors while converting its own opportunities. SAU worked to stay within reach, with Cooper and Killeen contributing kills, and Schofield added a service ace late in the set. However, Southwestern's attack proved difficult to slow, as the Bulldogs hit .393 with 12 kills and just one error to claim the set, 25-17, and regain the match lead.
Set Four (W, 25-22)
Facing a potential match-ending set, Southern Arkansas responded with a resilient fourth-set effort. The teams remained close throughout the frame, exchanging points as the score reached 15-15. Cooper continued to produce at the net, while Dauenhauer helped the Muleriders move in front with a service ace and another point that pushed SAU's advantage to 18-16. The Blue and Gold maintained pressure through the closing stretch, with Porten and Cooper providing important offensive contributions. Southern Arkansas secured the 25-22 win to force a deciding fifth set and extend the match.
Set Five (L, 15-13)
The decisive set delivered one final momentum swing, as Southern Arkansas fought back after Southwestern established an advantage. The Bulldogs created separation in the middle of the frame, but the Muleriders refused to go quietly. Trailing 14-8, SAU mounted a late rally behind Toliver's service pressure, a kill from McSpadden, and a Southwestern attack error to pull within one point at 14-13. After cutting the deficit to the narrowest of margins, the Muleriders were unable to complete the comeback, as Southwestern recorded the final kill to secure the 15-13 set victory and the match, 3-2.
Up Next:
The Muleriders' next outing takes place in Shreveport, Louisiana, as the Blue and Gold will take on Centenary College on Tuesday (Oct. 20) at 6:00 PM. Southern Arkansas returns to Magnolia for its next Great American Conference contest on Thursday (Oct. 22) when the Muleriders host Ouachita Baptist. First serve is scheduled for 6:00 PM
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