EDMOND, Okla. – Southeastern Oklahoma State falls to Arkansas-Fort Smith in three sets on the first day of the MIAA/GAC Crossover.
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D'Nari Mills finished the match with a double-double, recording 13 kills and ten digs.
Noelia Rocha notched eight kills, while
Ruthie Forson and
Faith Kruebbe combined for 14 kills, and Forson would also dish out 25 assists.
Patience Lewis led the back row with 19 digs, and
Maci Morrison notched 4.0 total blocks.
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Southeastern (4-5, 1-0) concludes the MIAA/GAC Crossover tomorrow at 3 p.m. against No. 15 Central Oklahoma from the Hamilton Field House in Edmond, Okla.
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SET ONE
Arkansas-Fort Smith built an early advantage with a  7-1 spurt to lead the Storm 7-2. Two kills by Rocha helped the SE trim the gap to three, 8-5, and another two kills from Mills and Morrison kept Southeastern on the heels of the Lions down 13-10.
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UAFS remained in front through the next rallies and would eventually stretch its edge to 21-14 on a 4-0 burst. A late charge by SE featuring kills by Kruebbe, Mills and Morrison turned into a 5-1 run to cut the gap to three, 22-19. The Lion's advantage would prove too much late in the set, as UAFS took the opening frame 25-20. Â
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SET TWO
Southeastern fell behind to Arkansas-Fort Smith 8-3 in the opening exchanges of the second frame. The Storm began to close the gap on a 2-0 spurt and later on a 4-1 run featuring two kills by Morrison to cut the Lion's edge to 12-10. UFAS soon regained control on a 4-0 stretch to force SE to use a timeout. Arkansas-Fort Smith held a three to four-point margin for the remainder of the set to later win the set 25-17.
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SET THREE
The Storm trailed 9-8 through the first 17 points before the Lions found some separation on a 5-1 burst to lead 17-12. SE kept close with back-to-back kills by Rocha and a service ace from Forson, but UFAS refused to give up its lead, 21-17. Kills by Kruebbe and Mills brought the Storm within three, 21-19 before the Lions found four of the final six points to take the last set 25-21.Â
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