Storm Pick Up First Win and Split Saturday Action

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 DURANT, Okla. – Skylor Lewis and Caroline Griffith combined for 21 kills to power Southeastern to its first win of the season in a 3-0 romp over Emporia State, but the squad would end the Southeastern Classic on a tough note with a 3-1 loss to New Mexico Highlands on Saturday afternoon.
 
The split moves the Savage Storm to 1-2 overall to open the 2021 season with its next action slated for Sept. 10-11 at Texas-Tyler for the 2021 Dakota's Patriot Classic in Tyler, Texas.
 
In Saturday's opener, Lewis collected 11 kills and Griffith added 10 as the Storm cruised past ESU 25-19, 25-20, and 25-16.
 
The pair accounted for nearly half the team's 43 kills, while Mya Afflerbach added five, while Ruthie Forson and McKenzie Turkoly chipped in four apiece.
 
Forson did so while also handing out 35 assists and nearly logging a double-double with nine digs.
 
Grace Shehadeh led a trio of players with double-digit digs, turning in 19, while Lewis added 14 and Turkoly finished with 12.
 
Forson also led the defense at the net with a pair of blocks.
 
Lewis, Forson, Griffith, and Jadyn James each had three kills in the opening set as SE jumped ahead and pulled out a 25-19 win to take a 1-0 lead.
 
Griffith led the charge in the second set with five kills, while Lewis added four as the Storm held on for a 25-20 win to move to a 2-0 lead.
 
The Storm used a big early run in the third set to take control and Lewis would card four kills while Jessie Steele and Turkoly added three apiece and SE pi9cked up a 25-16 win over ESU in the clincher.
 
Lewis paced the club as well in the weekend's finale, posting 16 kills over the four set match.
 
SE fell behind 2-0 with losses of 25-17 and 25-22, but rallied in the third set to win 25-19 and stay alive. Unfortunately, the momentum did not carry over in a 25-16 loss in the fourth set against NMHU.
 
Lewis' 16 kills did lead all attackers in the match, while Griffith finished with eight.
 
Forson chipped in five kills and added a double-double with 34 assists and 10 digs.
 
Grace Shehadeh posted a 29 dig outing to lead all defenders in the match, while Micah Stiggers followed with 11, and Lewis and Forson chipped in 10 each.
 
Shehadeh also added three aces, while Lewis and Griffith posted two each.
 
Griffith led the net defense with a pair of solo blocks.