Box Score (PDF)

OXFORD, Miss. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team defeated Ole Miss in five sets (19-25, 25-19, 25-14, 10-25, 18-16) Friday at Gillom Sports Center.

Ole Miss (8-4) forced a fifth set with a 25-10 win in set four, but USA (5-4) rallied in the fifth set to take the match and hand the Rebels just their second home loss of the season. 

South Alabama will close its non-conference schedule Saturday when it faces Ole Miss at 1:30 p.m. at Gillom Sports Center in Oxford. Live stats for the match will be available and can be accessed through the Jaguar volleyball schedule page at USAJaguars.com.

GAME FACTS
- USA posted a .333 team hitting percentage in the third set, led by Kristina Alabastro's four kills and .800 hitting percentage in the set.
- The Jags used a 3-0 run in the final set to overcome a one-point deficit and take a 10-8 lead. Following a timeout by Ole Miss, a kill by Iva Durdanovic pushed the Jaguar advantage to 11-8. The Rebels cut the Jaguar lead to one point at 13-12 late in the set, but USA responded with a kill by Hannah Harris to earn match point at 14-12. Ole Miss scored consecutive points on a kill by Lexi Thompson and a Jaguar attack error to tie the score at 14-14. The Rebels earned match point at 15-14 on a Jaguar ball-handling error. USA later tied the score at 16-16 on a kill by Kelley Hartman. The Jaguars then clinched the match on consecutive Ole Miss attack errors. 
- South Alabama recorded four of its 12 total team blocks in the fifth set, led by Kelley Hartman's two solo blocks in the set. 
- The Jags hit .471 in the fifth set, led by Alabastro and Hannah Harris who each posted three kills and .750 hitting percentage in the set. 
- The win marked South Alabama's second straight over Ole Miss, following a win in 2005 in Mobile. The Rebels lead the all-time series 5-3 after Friday's match.

NOTES
- Parker Harrell finished with a season-high 23 assists along with one service ace and seven digs. Ashlyn Roberts added 16 assists, one service ace and seven digs. 
- Kelley Hartman recorded a team-high 10 kills and two service aces, while Morgan Stalcup finished with a career-high nine kills. Both Hartman and Stalcup posted two solo blocks and four block assists each.
- Abby Baker recorded a team-high 22 digs, while Alabastro turned in 11 digs along with seven kills, a .375 hitting percentage and one service ace. 
- Iva Durdanovic finished with nine kills, while Hannah Harris added seven kills, a .438 hitting percentage and four block assists. 

QUOTES
Head Coach Amy Hendrichovsky
- On the win: 
"It really just came down to execution and which team was able to execute and not give up runs of points. The first four sets were not as close, because it was about the team that wasn't going to give up a run of points. The fifth set became the most competitive because we both executed on both sides of the ball. It really comes down to us being able to execute consistently for three sets, and tonight we were able to execute three of the sets out of the five. Obviously you would like to do it in less than five, but it was nice that we were on the winning end in executing our game."

- On Ole Miss:
"They have some great outside hitters and right side hitters. The three kids (Lexi Thompson, Emily Stroupe and Kate Gibson) who led them in kills are very athletic, terminating, good outside hitters. The sets that we were able to control them and minimize them being successful really helped us. They are really their three go-to players."

- On the defense:
"We had moments where we did well defensively, and we had moments where we didn't execute defensively. Honestly, they (Ole Miss) beat us in almost every category but a lot of that has to do with the fact that we lost the fourth set as bad as we did. I think we can take what we did tonight and do better tomorrow, and that would be the goal for this team – to improve on what we didn't execute tonight."

UP NEXT
South Alabama will close its non-conference schedule Saturday when it faces Ole Miss at 1:30 p.m. at Gillom Sports Center in Oxford. Live stats for the match will be available and can be accessed through the Jaguar volleyball schedule page at USAJaguars.com.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with USAJaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at Twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Rally Score Club, the volleyball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All donations to the Rally Score Club go directly to support the South Alabama volleyball program. For more information on how you can join visit:  jaguarathleticfund.com/rallyscoreclub.