MACON, Ga. ? Led by Jenna Swilley and Brittany Blackwelder’s match-high 19 kills each, the University of South Alabama women’s volleyball team completed the season opening sweep Saturday with a 3-1 (19-30, 34-32, 30-19, 30-21) victory over Mercer in match two of a twin bill at the University Center.  USA defeated MVSU 3-1 in the first match of the day.

“Today was a total team effort in both matches and that’s the way I feel it is going to have to be this season,” said South Alabama women’s volleyball head coach Nicole Keshock.  “We are going to need to receive contributions from about five to six players a night and we got that today.  I was really proud of our girls.  We started off slow both matches.  I was glad we were able to turn it around and dominate both matches.”

In game one of USA’s (2-0) second match of the day, the host Bears (1-2) came out and grabbed an early 10-4 lead.  Summer Pilgrim trimmed the deficit to four at 13-9 with a kill, but Mercer was able to push the advantage back out to nine (19-10).  Back-to-back kills from Brittany Blackwelder again cut the Mercer advantage to 20-14, but that was as close as USA got the rest of the way.  MU went on to take game one 30-19 and out hit the Jags .441 to .026 in the opener.

The Lady Bears came out in the second game and took seven of the first nine points to take an early 7-2 lead on a Karen Doris kill.  Kalyn Hundley ignited a 9-2 Jag scoring spurt with back-to-back kills and Lauren Robbins capped off the run with an ace.  USA stretched its lead out to three on seven occasions until at 19-16 Mercer started to rally.  A block assists by Julie Darty and Kellie Violette tied the contest back up at 22-22.  The two teams went back and forth for the remainder of the match with neither able to get more than a one point advantage.  Jen Darty gave Mercer game point with a pair of back-to-back kills, but Hundley was able to tie the contest back up at 31-31 with her fourth kill of the match.  South Alabama captured the 34-32 victory with consecutive kills from Blackwelder and Robbins.

Game three started with the Jags opening up a quick 9-2 lead that was capped off by a Pilgrim ace that hit the top of the net and rolled over.  Mercer closed the gap to five on three occasions before with the game at 13-8, USA went on a 7-1 run that was finished off by a Collen Downey ace, her fourth of the game and fifth of the match.  The Downey ace gave South Alabama an 11-point lead at 20-9.  Mercer was able to cut the lead to 21-15 on a Drennan Dexheimer kill but Blackwelder again had the answer for the Jags as she ripped off four more kills over USA’s next five points to again push the lead back out to double digits at 26-16.  The Lady Jags went on to take a 2-1 match lead with the 30-19 victory.

The fourth game was a tight contest early.  With USA trailing by one at 7-6, the Jags began to mount their comeback.  Jenna Swilley gave South Alabama a 10-8 advantage and Summer Pilgrim pushed the margin out to six at 15-9. The Lady Bears closed the gap to two at 17-15 on a Violette kill.  USA, however, responded with eight of the next 10 points highlighted by a pair of block assists and kills from Pilgrim to give South Alabama a 25-17 lead.  The Jags went on to take the match and the game with a 30-21 victory.

USA place three players in double digit kills, led by Swilley and Blackwelder with 19 each.  The Jags also placed four players in double digit digs.  True freshman Stephanie Cutter, starting just her second match, etched her name in the South Alabama record book, recording 64 assists. Her total ranks second on the Jaguar charts in a four-game match.

Mercer was paced offensively by Julie Darty’s 11 kills and Liz Kane’s 16 digs.