LAS VEGAS, N.M. – Southeastern splits the final day of action at the Meadow City Classic, picking up a 3-0 win over hosts New Mexico Highlands in its final match of the invitational. The Storm fell short in the first match of the day to Northwestern Oklahoma State after five sets, 3-2.

"Very proud of this group and our determination to fight back after a loss. Gabby and Layla stepped up offensively. I think we really attacked NMH from the service line to keep the lead," head coach Nicole Solum-Mitchell said. "We are ready for the conference opener on Tuesday," coach Solum-Mitchell said.

Layla Wilson paced the attack for SE on day two at the Meadow City Classic, recording 32 kills across eight sets. Gabby Jones backed up Wilson with 27 kills and added 24 digs for two double-doubles. Jasmin Dion passed around 68 assists in the two matches and added five kills and 13 digs to her totals. Defensively, Anger Ngeth led SE at the net with 7.0 total blocks, while Patience Lewis had 25 digs.
 
MATCH ONE: NWOSU 3, SE 2
 
SET ONE
The two sides traded a run of scores to open the first set, as the Rangers reeled off a 5-0 run to lead 5-2 before the Storm answered with a 6-2 flurry, featuring two kills from G. Jones to take an 8-7 advantage. The frame remained back-and-forth with four ties, as SE and NWOSU were locked at 14-all after a kill by Rylee Jackson. The momentum quickly shifted to the Rangers, who began to build separation on the blue and gold and carried their lead to a 25-18 set win.
 
SET TWO
Southeastern was off to a roaring start, racing out to an 8-2 lead after a pair of service aces by Merrick Hammel to force an early timeout by NWOSU. The Rangers regrouped out of the break with a quick 4-0 run, but the Storm would soon capitalize on three straight Ranger errors to push its lead to four, 12-7. SE continued to take advantage of NWOSU's mistakes, as four more Ranger miscues allowed Southeastern to stretch the gap to 19-12. SE was soon under pressure from NWOSU, who battled back to 23-22, but a kill by Wilson and an ace by Dion closed the door on the Rangers' charge to take the second set 25-22.
 
SET THREE
It was all Rangers in the third stanza, as they jumped out to a 7-0 lead and never surrendered their advantage, running ahead to a 25-9 set win.
 
SET FOUR
Southeastern used a fast start to establish an early 8-4 lead through a combined four kills by Nykeriah Allen and Wilson. The Storm continued to stretch their lead on a 4-1 run before a trio of kills from the blue and gold pushed them out in front to 16-9. SE stayed on the front foot, chaining together four straight points to set up a 21-13 edge. However, the Rangers began to find momentum and would slash the SE lead to four, but G. Jones closed out the frame with the final kill to take the set 25-20.
 
SET FIVE
SE held the advantage first in the race to 15, leading 4-1 after a pair of blocks by Anger Ngeth. Southeastern stayed in front 8-5 through two kills by Allen, but the blue and gold were soon under pressure from the Rangers, who battled back to tie the set 10-all. Both teams traded 3-0 runs to stay locked at 13-all, though NWOSU would be the one to break the deadlock and win the frame 15-13.
 
 
MATCH TWO: SE 3, NMH 0
 
SET ONE
New Mexico Highlands opened the scoring, but it was all Storm after that, as SE jumped out to a 9-5 lead on a 7-1 run, featuring two kills by each of G. Jones and Dion. Southeastern continued to score in bunches, with its lead growing to 14-8 after an ace by Hammel and later to 20-11. The blue and gold controlled the set in the final rallies to take the opening set 25-15, capped off by a block by Jackson and Ngeth.  
 
SET TWO
SE came out swinging in the second stanza to take an 8-2 lead behind a combined six kills from Jackson, Allen, and G. Jones. Following a New Mexico Highlands timeout, the lead for SE grew to 11-3 before the Cowgirls began to find their footing in the frame, as they trimmed the Storm's edge to 15-11. From there, the two sides went point for point, with SE holding a six-point gap, 22-16. Southeastern would have to defend a late push by the Cowgirls, as Allen smashed down the final kill to win the set 25-20.
 
SET THREE
The Storm were on the front foot early, and G. Jones would help the blue and gold build a 5-1 lead behind a pair of kills by the sophomore. The blue and gold added to their lead moments later on a 4-0 burst to grow the advantage to 11-4, and soon reeled off another flurry of scores, featuring kills by Wilson, G. Jones and Jackson to push the gap to 16-8. After weathering the flurry from the Storm, NMH settled in and reeled off nine straight points to tie the set 19-all.
 
A kill by Dion would stop the bleeding, and the Storm turned to Wilson to help close out the set, as the freshman smashed down three kills to set up a 25-21 set win.

Southeastern (4-4, 0-0 GAC) returns to the Sooner State on Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m. with a road trip to Shawnee, Okla., to open GAC play at Oklahoma Baptist.