Storm Volleyball Closes Weekend with 3-0 Win

DURANT, Okla. – D'Nari Mills turned in 13 kills to pace the Southeastern offense as the Savage Storm closed out the Dr. Steve Aicinena "Iceman" Invitational at Texas-Permian Basin with a 3-0 win over New Mexico Highlands in Odessa, Texas.
 
SE swept with scores of 25-21, 25-15, and 25-20 to improve to 3-4 overall on the season and will next be in action Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. when it opens Great American Conference play on the road against Oklahoma Baptist in Shawnee, Okla.
 
"I'm really proud of this group," said head coach Nicole Solum-Mitchell, "And how we bounced back this weekend. We really found a groove and executed well. I think our bench maintained higher energy that helped push us through the weekend."
 
Mills 13 kills led all attackers, while Noelia Rocha followed with eight, while Fait Kruebbe added seven. Michera Moffett, Ruthie Forson, and Maci Morrison added five apiece.
 
Forson would pace the offense with 36 assists in the match, adding to her five kills and completing a double-double with 12 digs on defense.
 
Mills would also complete a double-double with 11 digs, while Patience Lewis led all defenders with 19 digs.
 
Moffett, Rocha, and Morrison paced the Storm at the net with three blocks each.
 
SET ONE
Southeastern collected 18 kills in the opening set, hitting .213 as a team, but trailed by three midway through the set. The Storm would rally, using an 8-4 run that saw Rocha, Mills, and Kruebbe each record a pair of kills, taking a 17-15 lead.
 
SE would push its lead to 21-17, but a NMHU rally would knot the match at 21-21, but Mills and Kruebbe would each record a pair of kills as the Storm reeled off the final four points for a 25-21 win.
 
SET TWO
The teams played evenly in the second set up to a 13-13 tie, but Mills would record four kills to pace a 13-2 run over the final 15 points to pull away to a 25-15 win in the second set.
 
SET THREE
Morrison would lead the offense in the third set, recording four kills while Mills and Rocha added three apiece.
 
The match was back-and-forth up to a 15-15 tie before SE put together a short 4-1 spurt to take a 20-16 lead and force a NMHU timeout.
 
The Cowgirls scored first out of the timeout, but the Storm would follow with five of the final eight points to secure the final set 25-20.