MIAMI, Fla. ? The University of South Alabama women’s volleyball team ended the 2006 season with a 3-0 loss (20-30, 19-30 and 12-30) to Florida International Sunday afternoon at Pharmed Arena.

With the loss, South Alabama ends the season with a 5-24 overall mark and 0-17 record in the Sun Belt.  The win helps FIU (22-7, 14-3 SBC) clinch a share of the Sun Belt Conference East Division title.

Game one between the Lady Jags and Golden Panthers was tight early on.  With FIU holding a one point advantage (9-8), Arasay Guerra ignited a 13-2 Florida International run with a kill and three straight service aces.  Yarimar Rosa also added three kills of her own during the scoring spurt.  After falling behind as by as many as 13 on three occasions, the Lady Jags kept battling but eventually fell 30-20 in the opener. 

In game two, both clubs came out with neither able to build more than a two point advantage on the other early on.  With USA holding an 11-10 lead, FIU pushed across four unanswered points to grab a 14-11 lead.  The Jags answered right back with three straight points of their own and tied the contest back up at 14-14 on a Kalyn Hundley kill.  With the score knotted at 15-15, the Golden Panthers pushed across 13 of the next 15 points en route to the 30-19 game two victory.

The Golden Panthers came out of the intermission and dominated from the outset, jumping out to a quick 11-3 lead in the finale.  The Jags could get no closer the rest of the way as FIU went on to close out the match with the 30-12 game three win.  In the third and final game, Florida International was a blistering .515 in the hitting department.

Lauren Robbins and Hundley led USA offensively, finishing with seven and six kills, respectively.  Rosa and Guerra each finished with 12 kills to pace FIU, while Guerra also recorded five of the Golden Panthers’ nine service aces.

The key stat of the game was in the attack percentage category, where FIU was on fire from the floor all day long, hitting over .400 all three games.

The match marks the end of the collegiate careers of Jag seniors Kalyn Hundley, Summer Pilgrim, Jade Nuss and four-year letterwinner Katie Wilhelm.