One match at a time, one set at a time, one point at a time.

That’s what SMU volleyball head coach Lisa Seifert has told her young team every time it gets stuck in a rut.

Last weekend, the Mustangs dug themselves large deficits twice and both times were able to rally, one point at a time, for victories against Conference USA foes.

SMU (9-7, 2-1 Conference USA) spotted Central Florida a two-set lead Friday before charging back for a 3-2 victory. On Sunday, the Mustangs rallied from deficits of four or more points in two sets and captured a 3-1 win over Southern Miss.

SMU, which had lost four of five going into the weekend, looks to keep its two-game conference winning streak alive this weekend when it travels south to face the Rice Owls and Houston Cougars.

In the first set against Southern Miss, SMU clawed back from a 21-15 deficit and fought off three set points to capture a 30-28 win. Stefanie Kons, who normally doesn’t do much attacking, had a pair of critical kills in the rally, and Dana Powell dropped the hammer with a set-ending kill. In the second set, SMU spotted the Eagles a four-point advantage before rallying to win 11 straight on Carly Bergquist’s serve.

“Those are the types of plays that will take us to the next level,” said Seifert.

After a 25-17 Southern Miss victory in the third set, the Mustangs took the lead from the get-go in the fourth set and held on to win the match.

Sophomore co-captain Kathryn Wilkerson smacked eight kills in the fourth set and finished with a .238 attack percentage. Wilkerson led the offense with 35 kills and the defense with 42 digs.

Seifert said she was encouraged by Wilkerson’s turnaround on Sunday and her overall turnaround last weekend. SMU’s opponents had keyed in on Wilkerson at the Denver Invitational on Sept. 19-21, and she struggled to provide consistent offensive numbers. It was no coincidence that the Mustangs managed only a 1-2 record at the tournament.

SMU 3, Central Florida 2

After losing the first two sets 25-23 and 25-20, the Mustangs rallied to win the final sets, 25-15, 25-22, 15-5. It was SMU’s first two-set rally for a victory since 2006.

“I asked the girls in the locker room after the second set, ‘How do you want to feel when this is over?'” said Seifert. “We felt a lot of relief and got confidence from (the comeback).”

As a team, the Mustangs finished with a .215 hitting percentage and 13 total blocks.