BETHANY, Okla. — Southern Nazarene kept its winning streak rolling on Thursday night, battling past Southern Arkansas in a thrilling five-set showdown to capture its third straight victory inside the Sawyer Center. 

SNU (8-13, 3-6 GAC) opened strong, taking the first set 26-24 behind a balanced offensive rhythm. Kate Wright and Riley Richardson sparked the attack early, while the Storm capitalized on SAU (8-14,3-6 GAC) errors to hold a narrow edge. 

Southern Arkansas responded with a 25-23 win in the second, tightening their defense and forcing SNU into longer rallies. Despite the loss, Richardson began to find her rhythm, picking up crucial sideout swings while the Storm's back row went to work.

The third set belonged to Southern Nazarene, 25-18, as the Crimson Storm delivered one of their sharpest frames of the night. Wright and Richardson continued their standout night with timely kills. 

In a gritty fourth set, SAU clawed their way to a 25-22 win to force a decisive fifth. The Muleriders' offense surged, but SNU stayed within striking distance thanks to defensive performances from Megan Branson and Sydney Marquez.

With momentum up for grabs, Southern Nazarene dominated the fifth set 15-8. Richardson capped her season-best night with key swings, while Wright and Morgan added late kills to shut the door. Branson delivered from the service line, and Brelee Mauldin and Emma Grace Moddelmog set up the offense.

Riley Richardson delivered a season-high in kills with 13, finishing alongside Wright with 16. Hannah Morgan also had double digit kills tallying 11. 

Next Up

The Crimson Storm will hit the road to take on Ouachita Baptist on Thursday, October 23 at 6:00 pm in Arkadelphia.