Southeastern Drops Matchup at TSU

Box Score STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Southeastern got off to a slow start on the road at Tarleton State and was unable to recover en route to a 3-0 loss in Stephenville, Texas, on Tuesday night.
 
The loss drops the Savage Storm to 5-7 overall on the year heading back into Great American Conference play with a 7 p.m. matchup at Southern Arkansas on Sept. 26 followed by a noon contest at Arkansas-Monticello on Sept. 27.
 
SE traded punches with the TexAnns early in the first set, tying the set at 9-9.
 
However, a five-point run and a six-point run by TSU left SE on the wrong end of a 25-14 score in set one.
 
In the second set Tarleton State jumped ahead early and stayed there, opening the set on an 8-3 run and finishing it by scoring five of the last six points to hand SE a 25-12 loss and a 2-0 deficit in the match.
 
The third set was back-and-forth early with Southeastern fighting to a 9-9 tie.  They would close to within two points later at 16-14, but TSU would slowly edge away for the 25-18 win in the clinching set.
 
Ariel Sanders led the offense with eight kills, while Megan Kunkel added six and Emily Gentle chipped in five.
 
Alissa Benson and Madelynne Cera split the setting duties, with Benson dishing out 12 assists while Cera added 10.
 
Sanders turned in four blocks, two solo, to lead the defense at the net, while Courtney Miller's eight digs paced the back row, with Gentle and Kelsey Zerkel each adding six.