NCAA DII Muleriders Edge Pioneers in Fifth Set

NCAA DII Muleriders Edge Pioneers in Fifth Set- Wil Teague, Sports Information Director, 9/19/25

Photo Credit: Amy Glenn

Crowley's Ridge- 2

Southern Arkansas- 3

Sets: 25-23 CRC, 18-25 SAU, 25-23 CRC, 18-25 SAU, and 8-15 SAU

Searcy, Ark.-One of Pioneer Volleyball's potential biggest wins in program history, narrowly slipped through their grasp with the NCAA DII Southern Arkansas Muleriders surviving the contest with a hard-fought fifth-set win to claim the matchup over CRC. 

The Pioneers won two sets, the opening set and the third set, with two-point spreads, 25-23, over the Muleriders. These huge set wins are heavily credited to key defensive stands from the Pioneers and absolute, critical execution offensively from the team in green. On the offset, the Muleriders took sets, two and four, with seven-point wins, 18-25, to force the ever-decisive race to 15 in set five. Harrowingly, after such a competitive contest, the Muleriders would reach the finish line ahead of CRC, defeating the Pioneers 15-8 to fend off the upset ending. 

In the thrilling contest, junior Brooklyn Cross led the offense with 14 kills on a .303 hitting percentage, followed by junior Shania Hodges, who added 10 kills. Sophomore Maddie Burris and junior Jillian Glasgow posted double-doubles for the afternoon, with Glasgow totaling 18 assists and 16 digs, and Burris dishing out 17 assists and 10 digs. Sophomore Alyssa Dirden and junior Mallory Hollis also reached double-digit digs for the team with Dirden's 15 and Hollis' 12. Lastly, junior OH/MB Amiyah Saxton recorded 10 total blocks (2 solos) on the afternoon. 

Up Next: The Pioneers will take on the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith and Harding University to finish up their time at the 2025 Harding Volleyball Invitational tomorrow before returning to the Ridge. #GOPIONEERS