Volleyball sweeps Lipscomb in season opener

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From SMUMustangs.com:

SMU Sweeps Lipscomb In Season Opener

LINCOLN, NEB. (SMU)-- SMU Volleyball opened the season with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-16, 25-21) sweep over Lipscomb on Friday in the first of three games at the Ameritas Players Challenge in the Bob Devaney Center on the campus of the University of Nebraska.

Three Mustang players registered at least five kills in a balanced offensive effort. On defense, SMU held Lipscomb to .085 on the day.

Jamison Wheeler led the Mustangs with 10 kills, including a .357 kill percentage, while also adding five digs. Naya Shime and Emma Clothier had strong Mustang debuts, with Shime recording seven kills, 10 digs and leading SMU in blocks with four. Clothier added seven kills, four digs and three blocks.

Celia Cullen dished out 25 assists and finished with six digs and a block. Playing her first match as a Mustang, Brooke Frazier recorded 15 digs and dished a service ace. Natalie Perdue finished with two kills, three digs and a block, while Lauren Ohlinger added a pair of kills along with four digs. Alex Glover earned two kills and blocks, respectively, and Sina Uluave notched five digs in her Mustang debut.

FROM THE COACHES:
"It's awesome to see our team trust their training," assistant coach Christa Branson said. "They were able to go out in our first match of the season and celebrate each others success. We're excited to embrace the momentum we have and keep it going."

HOW IT HAPPENED:
Set One:
Starting the match for the Mustangs for the first time this season were Celia Cullen, Emma Clothier, Alex Glover, Natalie Perdue, Jamison Wheeler, Naya Shime and Brooke Frazier. It was the first career start as a Mustang for three players: Clothier, Shime and Frazier. Back-to-back Wheeler kills earned the Mustangs an early advantage. A 3-0 run gave SMU a 9-5 lead and forced a Bison timeout. Lipscomb climbed back in the set, but a Wheeler kill, and solo block, a Shime kill, and a pair of Clothier and Shime blocks rattled off a 5-0 run that SMU used to finish Lipscomb off 25-17 in the first set.

Set Two:
The Mustangs stepped into the second set with momentum behind them, and Shime got the scoring started with her third kill of the day. The set was close through the first few points of the frame. The Mustangs gained their first advantage of the set after a pair of blocks put them up two. Two 4-0 runs forced a pair of Lipscomb timeouts and gave SMU a 17-9 advantage. The Mustangs never turned back after the timeouts and finished off the Bison 25-16 in the second set.

Set Three:
SMU started the final set strong, led by back-to-back kills from Shime that propelled the Mustangs to an 8-0 run. Lipscomb fought back and took a 17-14 lead. An Ohlinger kill and back-to-back points from Wheeler knotted the frame at 17 apiece. After going point-for-point, a Lipscomb error followed by two straight kills from Glover and Ohlinger gave SMU a 21-18 lead. A service error from Lipscomb extended the SMU advantage to 24-21, and Wheeler's 10th kill of the match finished off the Bison 25-21.

SMU NOTES:
SMU Kills Leader: Jamison Wheeler (10)
SMU Assist Leader: Celia Cullen (25)
SMU Digs Leader: Brooke Frazier (15)
SMU Blocks Leader: Naya Shime (4)

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
Jamison Wheeler's two assists tied her career-high, which she's reached four times (8/27/22, vs East Carolina 10/31/21, vs Wichita St. 11/23/22 and vs Omaha 9/11/21).

TEAM RECORDS SERIES NOTES:
SMU improved to 1-0 overall.
SMU won its fifth consecutive season opener.
SMU tied its all-time series with Lipscomb at 1-1.

UP NEXT
The Mustangs return to action on Saturday against Utah State at 2 p.m. in the Devaney Center.