ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Great American Conference action has officially begun, and the Muleriders got the league rolling in Clark County, taking on the Ouachita Baptist Tigers (5-4). Following a strong beginning on the road, Southern Arkansas dropped its GAC opener by a final score of 3-1.
Vs. Ouachita Baptist (L, 3-1)
Despite the loss, SAU showed many signs of growth in the outing, as the Blue and Gold were led in scoring by senior
Brinklee Dauenhauer, as the Springtown, Texas native had a season-high 20 kills (third-career 20+ kills match) on just 37 attacks and with two errors. With that, her attack percentage came out to .486. In total, Dauenhauer was responsible for a game-high 24.0 points after also accounting for four service aces. She went on to also lead the team in digs with 15, marking her third double-double of the campaign.
Another Mulerider with a standout performance was fellow senior
Allie Cooper, with the Brownsboro, Texas local tallying eight kills on just 14 attacks and one error, recording a hitting clip of .500. She also tacked on multiple service aces, with two of her own.
Set One (W, 25-22)
The Muleriders got the start they needed, as the group jumped on top of the Tigers with a 3-1 lead with kills from three different SAU members. After OUA tied the score at 3-3, the unit went on a 4-2 stretch to go up 7-5. Southern Arkansas responded accordingly with a 4-0 run to reclaim its lead and go up 9-7 before Ouachita Baptist countered with its own 4-0 stretch, putting the Tigers back up two at 11-9. SAU then went on a stretch of multiple stretches compared to the Tigers, adding one or two points, as the Muleriders accounted for a 10-3 stretch for a 19-14 advantage. Following that large shift in momentum, that momentous tide went right back in Ouachita's favor, as the Tigers went on a 7-1 run and claimed the lead at 21-20. While the Muleriders had been usurped again, they did not quit, as an OUA service error gave them the window they needed for a 5-1 stretch to win the opening set.
Set Two (L, 27-25)
Another tight set ensued after the first one, with both teams going on many 3-4 point stretches. In the set, the Tigers jumped out to a 15-11 advantage before the Muleriders clawed their way back into the bout with a 4-1 stretch to go down just one point, 16-15. After that, OUA went up five points with a 21-16 lead, but then SAU put their foot on the gas. Following a Cooper kill and a couple of attack errors around a couple of Tiger points, the Muleriders were gifted the serve back after another OUA service error, 23-20. Following that service error, Dauenhauer seemed to have taken control of the set, recording four straight kills and taking a 24-23 advantage. Ouachita knotted it up at 24-24, followed by a kill from
Courtnee Morgan, but ended the set on a 3-0 to even the match.
Set Three (L, 25-17)
The Blue and Gold got off to a hot start in the third set and looked like they were reclaiming their momentum, as the unit went up 6-3 on the Tigers. Ouachita quickly closed that gap and took over the set with a 5-1 stretch, 8-7. After a few back-and-forth points, OUA began to steadily build a lead, eventually taking control of the third set and winning it by eight.
Set Four (L, 25-22)
With their back against the wall, SAU once again began with a solid start, going up 4-2 after being down 2-0. The two conference foes began trading blows before the Muleriders grabbed some solid momentum with a 4-0 stretch to go up 14-10. After holding that lead for a decent time, up 18-13, the Tigers surged back with an 8-1 rally and went up 21-19. Southern Arkansas began to rely on the firepower of
Brinklee Dauenhauer, but despite three more kills from the senior, the Tigers went on to win the set and the match with their four kills to Dauenhauer's three.
Up Next:
The Muleriders have one more non-conference tournament left on their schedule prior to resuming league action next week. This weekend, Southern Arkansas travels to Searcy, Arkansas for the Harding Tournament. In the weekend, the Muleriders will face Southwest Baptist (9/11 | 9 AM), Missouri Southern State (9/11 | 2 PM), and Missouri S&T (9/12 | 9 AM).
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