SAN ANGELO, Texas — Southern Nazarene opened the 2025 season on a strong note, outlasting UT Permian Basin in a five-set thriller before falling to No. 23 Colorado Mesa in three sets at the Kathleen Brasfield Invitational hosted by No. 2 Angelo State.

Game 1
The Crimson Storm (1-1, 0-0 GAC) came out firing in the opener, hitting .400 with 14 kills while limiting errors to just two. That efficiency fueled a 25-17 win and an early 1-0 lead.

The Falcons (0-2, 0-0 LSC) quickly answered in the second set, using a near-perfect offensive stretch with 16 kills and no errors to pull away for a 25-15 victory. The third set remained tight throughout, with SNU rallying late to tie it at 25, but UTPB closed out the frame, 27-25, to grab the 2-1 advantage.

Southern Nazarene refused to fold, clawing through a back-and-forth fourth set. Behind kills from Rayanna Mauldin and Kate Wright, the Storm strung together points down the stretch to edge the Falcons, 25-23, and send the match to a deciding set.

In the fifth, both teams traded punches before SNU held firm in the final rallies, sealing a 15-13 win to capture the season opener.

Mauldin led the attack with 16 kills, 13 digs, and two blocks, while Wright posted a double-double of 15 kills and 17 digs. Setter Brelee Mauldin ran the offense with a career-high 37 assists and added two service aces. Defensively, Sydney Marquez recorded 16 digs, giving SNU three players in double digits.

Game 2
Southern Nazarene closed out day one of the Kathleen Brasfield Invitational with a tough matchup against No. 23 Colorado Mesa, falling in straight sets on Friday evening.

The Crimson Storm (1-1, 0-0 GAC) went toe-to-toe with the Mavericks (2-0, 0-0 RMAC) early in the opener. After trailing 18-14, SNU used a late push capped by a kill from Kate Wright to pull within two at 21-19. However, Colorado Mesa answered with four of the final six points to take the set, 25-23.

Momentum swung heavily in the second frame as the Mavericks rattled off an 11-3 run midway through the set to break open what had been a two-point contest. SNU struggled to slow down CMU's offense, which hit .484 in the frame, as the Mavericks rolled to a 25-14 win.

In the third set, Colorado Mesa again put together an impressive stretch, using a 7-1 spurt early to build a cushion the Storm could not overcome. Despite a pair of kills from Rayanna Mauldin to keep SNU within striking distance, CMU closed on a 6-1 run to finish the sweep, 25-12.

Next Up

The Storm will take on host No. 2 Angelo State at 11:00 am and Angelo State at 7:30 pm
on Saturday, September 5 to round out their contests at the Kathleen Brasfield Invitational.