Box Score (html)
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – In the first match of a month-long home stand, the SWOSU Volleyball squad suffered their first defeat at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center, a four-set defeat against Southern Arkansas on Friday night. The Muleriders won the match 3-1 by scores of 20-25, 17-25, 25-20, 20-25.
SAU handled the Bulldogs in the opening two sets, holding SWOSU to a hitting percentage under .100 in both. With their backs up against the wall in the third set, SWOSU battled back and took a lead of 10-7 before SAU took a timeout. The Bulldogs maintained a lead of at least four the remainder of the set and finally put SAU away on a
Joey Collins kill.
The fourth set started with the teams trading runs. SWOSU scored the first four points before Southern Arkansas responded with 10 straight points to take a 10-4 lead. The Bulldogs then answered back with six straight points, tying the set against at 10-10 and forcing the Muleriders to take a timeout.
The teams traded points and tied up at each point until 18-18 before SAU broke through with back-to-back points, taking a 20-18 lead before another SWOSU timeout. A kill from
Carly Zak got SWOSU within one at 21-20, but SAU finished strong, taking the final four points of the set to win it 25-20.
Zak led the Bulldogs with 13 kills and hit .423 for the match, the highest percentage by a Bulldog this season. Collins had nine kills for SWOSU while
Brandy Mader and
Shayne Haley had seven apiece. Mader also added another double-double to her credit with 30 assists and 11 digs, but it was
Kaila Lancaster who finished with a team-high 16 digs. The Dawgs out blocked SAU 6-to-4 behind a team-best three (one solo, two assist) by
Taylor VanderWerff.
SWOSU has little time to dwell on the loss as they will be back in action at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center at 10 am tomorrow morning, facing Arkansas-Monticello.
