SE Downs SAU for First GAC Tourney Win

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – A Courtney Miller service ace put the final exclamation point on Southeastern's historic 3-0 win over Southern Arkansas on Thursday as the club picked up the program's first ever postseason victory and advanced to the second round of the Great American Conference Tournament.
 
The win lifts the Savage Storm to 18-13 overall on the season as they will now ready themselves for a second round matchup against the winner between second-seeded Southern Nazarene and seventh-seeded Arkansas-Monticello.
 
The 18 wins is now the fifth most wins in a season, and the most in a year since the 22 posted in 2009.
 
The Storm was dominant in its win, out-killing SAU 44-to-22, with Megan Kunkel turning in a game-high 14 kills while hitting .379, while Emily Gentle followed with 11 kills while hitting .333.
 
Julia Benford chipped in six kills, while Miller and Ariel Sanders added five each.
 
SE hit .292 as a team with just 13 errors over three sets.
 
Alissa Benson triggered the offense with 20 assists, while Madelynne Cera posted 12 in the effort.
 
Defensively, Kunkel led the way there as well with another match high of 18 digs to complete the double-double, while Kelsey Zerkel added 14 and Miller chipped in 13.
 
At the net, Sanders posted four blocks, two of which were solo, while Miller added three.
 
Southeastern held an 8-to-2 edge in blocks.
 
The Storm opened up an early lead with a 5-0 run behind Kunkel's serve to take a 9-3 advantage.
 
The lead would continue to grow as SE pulled away for the 25-15 win in the opening set for a 1-0 edge in the match.
 
SE fell behind 3-0 early in the second set, but rallied and would eventually double-up the Muleriders with a 16-8 lead.
 
The Storm would maintain that eight point lead and pick up a 25-17 win in the second set to mount a commanding 2-0 lead.
 
Southeastern carried that momentum into the third set and quickly took a 2-0 lead and never trailed in the set.
 
The Storm led by four points for most of the early part of the set before a 4-0 run extended its advantage to 18-10.
 
SE would then score seven of the final 11 points to win the set 25-14 and clinch the match 3-0.