Muleriders end A-Tech’s title run in GAC volleyball
For the first time, the Great American Conference volleyball tournament final does not include Arkansas Tech.
Fourth-seeded Southern Arkansas stunned the Golden Suns 3-1 in Friday’s second semifinal at Bank of the Ozarks Arena, denying Tech a shot at a third-straight GAC tournament title in a fifth consecutive finals appearance.
Instead, Southern Arkansas (20-13) plays No. 3 seed Southwestern Oklahoma at 2 p.m. today for the league’s automatic berth in the NCAA Division II regionals. SAU won 3-2 against No. 5 seed Harding in a late quarterfinal Thursday night after tying the Bison at 9-7 in regular-season conference matches but getting the higher seed because of a series sweep.
Arkansas Tech (26-7) lost for the first time in eight Hot Springs matches after the tournament moved to a neutral site in 2013. The Golden Suns went 15-1 against GAC opponents in the regular season but were not sharp in Thursday’s 3-1 quarterfinal victory over No. 8 Southeastern Oklahoma State.
Arkansas Tech started strongly against Southern Arkansas, winning the first set 25-21, but then gave way to a Mulerider surge of 25-22, 25-20, 25-23. It marked only the fourth time Tech has dropped multiple sets in the GSC tournament, the Golden Suns now 2-2 in such matches.
Junior Serena LeDuff had 19 kills and Emilie Aase 13 for Southern Arkansas, with only one Arkansas player on its roster. LeDuff is one of five Californians on coach Steven Gream’s squad and Aase, one of its three seniors, is from Norway.
Bryant junior Hannah Rice had a game-high 28 digs for SAU while Tech had five players with 10 or more, senior Katie Huff leading with 20. LeDuff added 14 digs and senior Taylor Reaume 11 for the Muleriders, LeDuff recording the match-ending kill with an assist from Reaume.
It was a disppointing outcome for coach Kristy Bayer and the Golden Suns with their nice blend of experience and youth. Huff, from Spring-
dale Har-Ber, had a team-high 15 kills, GAC Freshman of the Year Hunter Eshnaur (Russellville) adding 11 and sophomore McCall Wilkins 10.
Tech did not lose from Sept. 18 until Nov. 10 but dropped two of its last four matches, its only GAC regular-season defeat coming to Harding 3-1 at Searcy. The Golden Suns defeated Southern Arkansas 3-2 Sept. 15 in Magnolia and 3-0 Nov. 5 in Russellville. Tech returned none of its three all-tournament players, including MVP Madison Nagel, from last year’s squad.
Bayer coached the Golden Suns to GAC final appearances in the league’s first two seasons, beating Harding 3-2 at Russellville’s Tucker Coliseum in 2011 before losing 3-1 to the Bisons at Searcy’s Rhodes Field House the following year. Tech beat Harding 3-0 in the 2013 final at then-Summit Arena and firstyear member Southern Nazarene 3-2 last year.
SW Oklahoma-Southern Nazarene
Southwestern Oklahoma State’s volleyball team made history Friday as the first third-seeded team to defeat a No. 2 seed in the Great American Conference tournament.
The Bulldogs (21-11) won a rubber match with Southern Nazarene 3-0, advancing to the championship round for the first time. Scores were 25-22, 25-19, 25-17.
Southwestern defeated instate rival and No. 6 seed Northwestern Oklahoma 3-1 in the first round Thursday. Southern Nazarene won 3-1 over Ouachita Baptist in hopes of reaching the GAC tournament final for the second time.
Freshman Jill Green had a match-high 11 kills for Southwestern, sophomore DeLayni Fine with eight kills and juniors Carly Zak and Kayla Heber with seven each. Zak had a match-ending kill with the match-high 31st assist from Hebert, who led the team with 15 digs and a .400 hitting percentage.
Southern Nazarene, ending its second GAC season 16-17, had 29 assists from sophomore Elyse Berlin, 20 digs and 32 attacks by junior McKenna Qualls and a team-high .353 hitting percentage by junior Lexie Matthews.
Hebert’s .400 hitting stood out in a match that Southwestern finished .218 and Southern Nazarene .139.
The home team won both regular-season meetings, Southwestern 3-0 Sept. 22 in Weatherford and Southern Nazarene 3-0 Nov. 10 in Bethany.