MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Despite dropping Thursday night's match in straight sets (23-25,23-25,18-25), Southern Arkansas kept Arkansas Tech on the ropes as the Golden Suns rallied from a pair of late set deficits to pick up the Great American Conference win inside the W.T. Watson Center.
Records
Southern Arkansas (9-19, 3-11 GAC)
Arkansas Tech (20-10, 10-4 GAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lady Muleriders battled with ATU all evening and eventually took a 14-13 lead in the opening set and would keep the lead until the Golden Suns rallied down 22-21 to take the opening set 25-23.
Southern Arkansas jumped out to an 8-3 advantage on Arkansas Tech in the second set and pushed their advantage to 12-6, before the Golden Suns finally tied the set at 18 points apiece. The Lady Muleriders regained the lead and looked to tie the match at one set apiece leading the second frame 23-20, but Tech received kills from Hunter Eshnaur and Kaylee Konsella and three consecutive Amanda Milnick service aces to claim set two.
SAU turned a 4-2 deficit into an 8-5 lead in the third set, before Tech broke a tie at 14 with an 11-4 run as the Golden Suns picked up the match win.
FOR SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
Senior Serena LeDuff paced SAU with ten kills and added a service ace. Junior Alli O'Banioncollected nine kills and freshman Seven Powers added eight kills.
Freshman Riley Marsh recorded a pair of service aces and classmate Katy Coopercommanded the offensive attack for SAU with 29 assists, while finishing a dig shy of a double-double effort.
Hannah Rice led SAU in digs with 14.
FOR THE OPPOSITION
Eshnaur led the Golden Suns with 13 kills and added ten digs in a double-double effort.
Matti Dix and Madison Nagel also added ten digs each.
Milnick recorded three blocks, while Lauren Rodemers and Konsella added a pair of blocks each.
Milnick led all players with 36 assists and led ATU with three aces.
OF NOTE
The Great American Conference race heats up with just over a week left in the regular season. Due to the loss, SAU drops to 11th in the league standings. East Central is one game back in games played and Southeastern Oklahoma State is a pair of games back in games played. Both teams are in action on Friday and Saturday.
The Lady Muleriders are a win away from their tenth win of the season. It would be the seventh season in a row that the Lady Muleriders have recorded ten or more wins.
UP NEXT
With two games remaining in the regular season, Southern Arkansas remains at home for the home finale and Senior Night on Tuesday, November 8, with a 7 p.m. first-serve against Ouachita Baptist inside the W.T. Watson Center.
Live stats for the contest can be found here: http://www.sidearmstats.com/saumag/wvball/.
Live video is also available and can be found here: http://livestream.com/accounts/10140781.
Be sure to visit muleriderathletics.com for continuing coverage of Lady Mulerider Volleyball including pre- and post-game updates, weekly notes, and the coach's show with Head Coach Britney Davis.
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