MAGNOLIA, Ark. — Mulerider Volleyball had its first Great American Conference rematch, as the Blue and Gold took on the Ouachita Baptist Tigers, who is currently tied for second place in the GAC. Southern Arkansas ended up dropping the contest, as the Tigers defeated the Muleriders 3-1 sets.
Allie Cooper ended up securing the lead for the most kills amongst the Blue and Gold, as the senior from Brownsboro, Texas tallied 10 kills, while accounting for a .194 attack percentage. Cooper ended up also leading the team in blocks, recording two solos.
Nearly accounting for a double-digit kill match was Brinklee Dauenhauer, having tallied nine kills.
With 37 assists, Hayden Pinard led the orchestrating of the offense, while Kendall Toliver led the defense with her 30 digs.
Set One (L, 25-16)
Nearly from the get-go, Ouachita Baptist had control of the outing, as the unit jumped to an 8-3 lead. Southern Arkansas brought the set back within two points, but was countered by a 4-0 run from OUA, 13-7. The Tigers went on to take that 4-0 run and expand it into a more dominant run, going on to win set one with a 25-16 final.
Set Two (W, 25-19)
The Muleriders were able to tie the match back up in set two, even after the Tigers started with a 4-0 advantage. Southern Arkansas then tied the set with a pair of attack errors and kills from Allie Cooper and Addy Vollmer. Then the groups went back-to-back before Ouachita went up 12-9. The Blue and Gold did not let it slide for long, with the squad scoring the next four points to take the lead and go into another shootout frenzy. Southern Arkansas finally got some separation in the set and went on a strong stretch to clinch the second set 25-19.
Set Three (L, 25-15)
The Tigers countered in a big way, as the group was in a tight set early on, but created separation to gain a 14-6 advantage. The group kept its momentum rolling for the rest of the set, with the deficit only cutting to six points, as Ouachita Baptist won the third set 25-15.
Set Four (L, 25-22)
Southern Arkansas also seemed to have kept the trend going, as the unit held its own against Ouachita Baptist, even gaining an 11-9 lead. The two kept going back-and-forth against the other until the Tigers gained a three-point advantage and looked to gain all control. The Muleriders did not back down just yet though, as the Blue and Gold brought the set back within one at 21-20. OUA followed the SAU effort with a 3-0 stretch for match point at 24-20, and even after kills from Addy Vollmer and Ryleigh Layton, Southern Arkansas was stumped by a final Ouachita Baptist kill for a 25-22 final.
Up Next
The Muleriders are back home on Tuesday for the unit's final home match in the month of October. Southern Arkansas will take on the Arkansas Tech Golden Suns on October 27 at 6:00 PM inside the W.T. Watson Center.
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