MONTICELLO, Ark. — Southern Arkansas Volleyball closed out its 2026 regular season on a high note Thursday evening, earning a hard-fought five-set Great American Conference victory over Arkansas-Monticello at the Steelman Fieldhouse. The Muleriders claimed the opening set before battling through two tightly contested frames, then delivered a dominant fourth-set performance and held off the Cotton Blossoms in the deciding set to secure the 3-2 win by scores of 25-17, 23-25, 24-26, 25-12 and 15-13.
With the victory, Head Coach Allie Harrell recorded her fourth-straight campaign with 10 or more wins.
Senior Brinklee Dauenhauer led the offensive charge with a team-high 22 kills while hitting .321 and adding 18 digs, recording her 13th double-double this season. Fellow senior Jessica Porten turned in a career night with 21 kills while hitting .417, while Allie Cooper contributed 16 kills and led the team with a .429 hitting percentage.
Hayden Pinard orchestrated the Mulerider offense with 72 assists and added 15 digs. Pinard's 72-assists showing ends up going down in the Mulerider Volleyball record book for the most assists in a single match. She broke a 21-year old record that was held by Sara Woolbright's 70 assists against Ouachita Baptist on September 27, 2005. Defensively, Kendall Toliver paced the Blue and Gold with 25 digs, while Charley Walker contributed 21 digs and a team-high four service aces. Walker also added four total blocks, matching Cooper for the team lead.
As a team, Southern Arkansas produced one of its strongest offensive performances of the season, recording 79 kills while hitting .259. The Muleriders also finished with 105 digs, 75 assists (tied for fourth most by an SAU team in a single match) and 10 service aces, holding significant advantages over Arkansas-Monticello in kills (79-46), digs (105-77) and hitting percentage (.259-.165). Southern Arkansas' 79 kills go down as the program's third-most kills in a single match.
Set One (W, 25-17)
Southern Arkansas established its presence early, overcoming a brief opening deficit before taking control of the first set. After the Cotton Blossoms moved in front, the Muleriders found their rhythm behind a balanced offensive effort and pressure from the service line. Walker helped spark a key stretch with consecutive service aces, while Killeen and Porten added kills to push the Blue and Gold ahead 8-3. Dauenhauer and Cooper continued to provide production at the net as SAU maintained its advantage through the middle portion of the frame. The Muleriders finished the set with 15 kills while hitting .294, limiting UAM to just seven kills and a .061 hitting percentage. Southern Arkansas carried that momentum through the closing points to take the opening frame, 25-17.
Set Two (L, 25-23)
The Cotton Blossoms responded in the second set, turning the match into a tighter battle. Southern Arkansas continued to find offensive production, with Dauenhauer, Porten and Cooper contributing kills as the teams traded points throughout the frame. The Muleriders recorded 16 kills in the set, but UAM remained within reach and capitalized on opportunities late. Despite SAU's continued offensive pressure, the Cotton Blossoms edged out the 25-23 decision to even the match at one set apiece.
Set Three (L, 26-24)
The third set proved to be another closely contested affair, with both teams trading points and neither side able to establish lasting separation. Southern Arkansas turned in another productive offensive frame, recording 18 kills as Dauenhauer and Porten continued to lead the attack. The Muleriders stayed within striking distance throughout the set, pushing the contest beyond the 24-point mark. However, Arkansas-Monticello managed to secure the final points in the extended frame, taking a narrow 26-24 win and moving ahead 2-1 in the match.
Set Four (W, 25-12)
With the match on the line, Southern Arkansas delivered a dominant response in the fourth set. The Muleriders' offense found another gear, producing 18 kills while committing just three attack errors to post an impressive .441 hitting percentage. Cooper, Porten and Dauenhauer continued to lead the way offensively, while SAU's defensive pressure limited the Cotton Blossoms to just seven kills and a .129 hitting percentage. The Blue and Gold steadily built their advantage throughout the frame, pulling away to claim a commanding 25-12 victory and force a deciding fifth set.
Set Five (W, 15-13)
With the match coming down to a final set, Southern Arkansas continued to apply pressure and delivered when it mattered most. The Muleriders recorded 12 kills while hitting .290 in the deciding frame, maintaining their offensive efficiency against a UAM team that had committed just one attack error. Dauenhauer and Porten continued to anchor the attack, while Toliver and Walker helped lead the defensive effort as the teams battled through the closing points. Southern Arkansas held its composure in the final stretch, securing a 15-13 set victory to complete the comeback and close the regular season with a five-set road win.
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