SAN DIEGO – SMU fell in five sets to UCONN in the finale of the USD Invitational for both sides at the Jenny Craig Pavilion Saturday.

Despite career-best day by four members of the squad, the Mustangs (23-25, 28-26, 19-25, 25-15, 12-15) fell to 5-4 on the season, while the Huskies improved to 3-5.

Natalie Perdue tallied 25 kills and 12 digs, the most in her career in both categories and notching her third double-double of the season. Jamison Wheeler's seventh double-double featured 25 successful attacks, the most of her career, with 10 digs.

Celia Cullen handed out 61 assists, five more than her previous high and dug out 13 attacks for her first double-double of the campaign. Jadyn Bauss registered highs with 32 digs and four assists.

The teams exchanged the lead 23 times, with 48 ties. SMU rallied back from deficits of 1-0 and 2-1, with triumphs in the second and fourth, which forced a decisive fifth game.

Rachel Woulfe and London Austin-Roark dominated the net in the fourth, propelling the Mustangs to their best game of the tilt and knotting it at two games apiece. They outhit UCONN .364-.095 in the set.

Trailing 7-6, the duo combined on the first of three blocks in the set, sparking an 19-8 run to close out the stanza. Woulfe added a solo rejection and Perdue teamed up with Alex Glover to secure the game with the team's fifth of the set.   

In the fifth, SMU held an 8-6 advantage at the side change, but the Huskies rattled off nine of the final 13 points, eliminating the comeback bid by the Mustangs.

UCONN closed with a 9-4 run to gain the early 1-0 advantage. Neither side held an advantage of more than two points during the entire game, with SMU's last advantage at 22-21The Huskies outhit the Mustangs .281 to .256-.281, despite four more kills by the Mustangs.

After leading 22-17, SMU needed extra points to even the match at one game all. Facing a second set point for UCONN at 26-25, Wheeler, Perdue and Glover delivered a kill each in succession, earning the split as teams when to the break.

Much like the opening game, set three remained knotted or a slim margin for either side until the final phase, when UCONN pulled away. A miscue by the Mustangs evened things for the 17th occasion at 18-all, sparking an 8-2 spurt, including seven in a row by the Huskies.

The Mustangs return to action Thursday, Sept. 15, in Lubbock, Texas, at 6 p.m. in the opener of the Red Raider Classic. SMU concludes the non-conference slate with a pair of matches Friday, facing Arizona at 12 p.m. and UTRGV at 5 p.m.