JONESBORO, Ark. (SMU) – The SMU volleyball team won its third straight match with a sweep at Arkansas State Saturday (27-25, 25-23, 25-16). The Mustangs posted 10 blocks, including five by freshman
Lexi Nordmann, and senior
Lauren Mills scored 13 kills in the win.
SMU took an 8-3 lead to start the third set, and Arkansas State (2-4) never got within three points the rest of the way. The Red Wolves cut the lead to 12-9 with back-to-back points, but the Mustangs (3-2) scored five of the next six for a 17-10 lead, cruising to the nine-point win after a pair of two-point nail biters.
Brittany Adams recorded her second straight double-double with 10 kills and 12 digs, and
Kendall Patterson posted her team-best third straight with 33 assists and 12 digs.
Kelly Brunstein scored eight kills, and was one of five Mustangs with multiple blocks. The Mustangs held Arkansas State to a .099 attack percentage defensively, while scoring 42 kills with a .210 attack percentage.
The Mustangs edged out the Red Wolves in the 1st set, holding on for a 27-25 lead. Trailing 16-14, SMU scored seven straight, capped off with a block by Nordmann, to take a 21-16 lead. With the lead still five, 23-18, Arkansas State stormed back to tie the score with a 5-0 run. Mills scored a kill to stop the streak, giving SMU the first opportunity at set point. While the Red Wolves never had a chance to serve for the set, they fought off a pair of SMU chances before the Mustangs scored back-to-back points for the win on the third chance. Mills led the attack with four kills, and the SMU defense scored four blocks.
Late in the second set, Arkansas State held a 22-20 lead, threatening to tie the match. SMU rallied for the next four points, taking a 24-22 lead after Linden and Nordmann combined for a block. The Red Wolves scored the next point, but then hit an attack wide as the Mustangs claimed the second set, 25-23. Mills and Adams each scored five kills in the set to lead the SMU offense.
SMU plays its final match at the Arkansas State Invitational at 4 p.m. against Virginia Tech.
