SEARCY, ARK- The Miner volleyball team ended the Harding Invitational on a high-note with back-to-back wins against Ouachita Baptist and Arkansas Monticello.

In the team's opening match of the day, the Miners came out strong in the first set, tallying 10 kills while limiting the Tigers to just three.

S&T found themselves with a quick 8-3 lead to start off after a kill from Kiernan O'Boyle (Kansas City, Mo./St. Teresa's Academy). The Miners began to pull away from OBU mid-way through the set with a 5-0 run that was capped off by a block from Payton Gannaway (Lawrence, Kan./Lawrence Free State) and Calla Meyer (Clackamas, Ore./Clackamas).

Seven of the last eight points of the set would go to the Miners that included four combined kills from Gannaway, O'Boyle, and Emilee Schalder. The 25-13 win would put S&T up 1-0 in the match.

Ouachita Baptist stunned the Miners in the second set, coming out taking a 20-13 lead over S&T after a kill from Joni Schenider put the Tigers up. S&T's rally attempt was cut short when OBU took advantage of Miner errors and took the 25-16 win to even the match at 1-1.

It was all S&T in the third and fourth sets as they revved up the offense.

After tying set three at 13-13, the Miners would push their lead out to 19-14 after five kills from S&T hitters and two service aces from Payton Gannaway (Lawrence, Kan./Lawrence Free State). The Tigers would try to hang around with the Miners, but OBU errors and two more kills from Schlader and Gannaway would seal the deal to give them a 2-1 lead in the match.

S&T and Ouachita Baptist traded points to start the fourth set before the Miners was able to pull away late.

The Miners front line ended up being too much for the Tigers to handle as the team totaled 17 kills in the set to take the 25-21 win and the 3-1 match win.

S&T's second match of the day was more of a challenge as Arkansas Monticello came out and forced five sets.

Both offenses came to play as the Miners recorded 59 kills while the Cotton Blossoms put down 45.

S&T took set one in the match behind five kills from Emilee Schlader (Lewiston, Idaho/Lewiston) and six combined from Gannaway and O'Boyle. The first set would end with back-to-back kills from Schlader and Gannaway and a major block from Calla Meyer (Clackamas, Ore./Clackamas) and Sarah McGinnis (Middleton, Wis./Edgewood) to take the 25-17 win.

Arkansas Monticello came back to take sets two and three and a 2-1 lead in the match.

The Miners came back in the fourth set swinging, getting enough of a lead late in the set. UAM errors and solid defense on the block for S&T gave them the 25-21 set four win.

It was all S&T in the fifth and final set; an ace from Avery Reed (Ste. Genevieve, Mo./Ste. Genevieve) and a kill from Abigail Widiker (Hammond, Wis./Saint Croix Central) gave the Miners an 11-5 lead. Calla Meyer (Clackamas, Ore./Clackamas) would lay a kill down to put S&T up 14-7 and a solo block from Kiernan O'Boyle (Kansas City, Mo./St. Teresa's Academy) would end the set and give the Miners the 15-7 win and the 3-2 match.

The Miners will begin GLVC play next weekend when they travel to Bellarmine and Indianapolis. Conference play begins Friday at 6 p.m. CST.