Storm Drop Five-Set Heartbreaker to SAU

DURANT, Okla. – D'Nari Mills led a trio of hitters with double-digit kills for Southeastern, but it was not enough as the Savage Storm suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat on Thursday evening against Southern Arkansas.
 
The loss drops SE to 3-18 on the season and 1-9 in Great American Conference play heading into a Friday afternoon contests versus Arkansas-Monticello at 4 p.m. in Bloomer Sullivan Gymnasium.
 
Mills led all atackers on the night with a season-high 26 kills, while Michera Moffett added 14 and Avynn La Rose turned in 10.  Jessica Harding just missed double-figures with nine.
 
McKenzie Turkoly handled the setting duties to the tune of a career-high 53 assists while turning in a double-double with 10 digs and chipping in a pair of kills.
 
Peyton Kriegel led the defense with 22 digs on the night, with Amaya Constantino not far behind with 17.  Mills would also finish with a double-double by turning in 16 digs, followed by Turkoly's 10.
 
La Rose and Turkoly combined on the team's only block.
 
SE would go back and forth early in set one, but the Muleriders would break an 11-11 tie with an 11-4 run to take control of the opening set on the way to taking it 25-18.
 
After falling behind early in set two, the Storm would right the ship by first tying the set at 5-5 before putting together a 14-6 stretch to take control of the set through the midway point before holding off a late SAU rally to win the set 25-22 and even the match at 1-1.
 
After trading points to open the third set, SAU would break a 4-4 tie and left the Storm playing catch up for the remainder of the set. SE would put together a late run, surviving four set points before SAU would take the set 25-23. For the 2-1 lead.
 
Southeastern would take the momentum of the late push in the previous set and pick up the first two points in set four and never look back, leading wire-to-wire in set four on its way to a 25-21 win which tied the match at 2-2.
 
The teams would play to a 4-4 tie in the fifth set, but SAU would score the next three points to take a lead. SE would rally late, closing the gap to 13-12, but the Muleriders would take two of the final three points to take the deciding set 15-13 and the match 3-2.