MAGNOLIA, Ark. ­– The Southern Arkansas Volleyball team opened up their 2018 campaign in front of the home crowd on Friday as they played a pair of matches in the opening day of the Second-Annual Dr. Margaret Downing Volleyball Invitational. SAU would pick up a decisive win in their first game against Union, 3-0, but saw a 2-0 lead over the University of Texas-Permian Basin slip away resulting in a loss in five sets.

In the opener against Union, the Muleriders (1-1) displayed a fast-pace and exciting offense that resulted in 35 kills over the three sets. While the hitting percentage for the match checked in at just .150, the Muleriders' defense shined as they limited the Bulldogs (0-2) to a dismal hitting clip of .056 by forcing 20 attack errors.

After edging the Bulldogs in the first set, 26-24, the Muleriders began to establish dominance in the match winning set two, 25-20, and earning a resounding 25-15 win in set three to claim the sweep. In that third set, SAU's offense was nearly unstoppable as they hit .435 with 12 kills and just two errors on 23 total attacks.

For that match, the offensive production was distributed rather evenly amongst the weapons as four hitters had at least six kills and not one with over eight. The top kill total for SAU was by Bailey Cagle as she had eight. Seven Powers and Abby Bermudez each had seven kills followed by Lauren Smith, who had six.

The offense was paced by a pair of freshmen setters in Fabiola Rivera and Lexie Kruse. Rivera led the team in assists with 18 while Kruse added 13. Fellow freshman Camryn Bihary led the defensive charge with 19 digs in her collegiate debut.

In the match against UTPB, SAU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the set and looked to be in control of the match, but the Falcons (1-1) came soaring back offensively and staved off defeat with a 25-22 win in set three and a 25-17 win in set four to force the decisive fifth set.

In the fifth set, SAU and UTPB went back and forth tying last at seven-all. UTPB recorded the point to switch the court and after that ripped off four-straight points to take a commanding 12-7 lead in set five. Katie Heese broke up the Falcon run with her first kill of the season, but UTPB scored the next three points to take the set and the match from SAU.

The Muleriders will be back in action on Saturday for the second and final day of the 2018 Dr. Margaret Downing Volleyball Invitational. SAU's opponents are slated to be Cameron at 3 p.m. and Mississippi College at 7 p.m.