BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ? In the first of two matches on the day, the University of South Alabama women’s volleyball team dropped a 3-0 (30-27, 30-18, 30-24) decision Saturday morning to Central Michigan (8-2) at the Loco’s Invitational hosted by the Panthers at Bill Battle Coliseum.

USA (5-6) will return to action later Saturday when the Jags close out tournament play versus Nicholls State at 5 p.m. 

Behind back-to-back kills from Kalyn Hundley and Summer Pilgrim, USA opened game one by taking the first four points.  Central Michigan battled back and tied the contest back up at 8-8 after a Mary Ochmanek kill.  Jenna Swilley put South Alabama back on top with a put away of her own.  For much of the remainder of the opener, neither team was able to take more than a two-point advantage.  CMU finally grabbed its first lead of the game at 20-19 after back-to-back Jag attack errors.   With the Jags holding a 24-23 advantage, the Chipewas pushed across three straight points to take a 27-23 lead after a block assists from Ochmanek and Alison Baker.  USA cut the deficit to two on two occasions but got no closer as Central Michigan held on for the 30-27 victory.

In game two, Central Michigan raced out to a quick 10-2 lead that was capped off by a Baker kill.  The Chipewas stretched their lead out to double digits (15-5) after another Ochmanek kill.  The Lady Jags, two points later, went on a 5-1 run to trim the deficit to 17-11 on a Brittany Blackwelder put away.  CMU answered right back by taking seven of the next eight points to hold its biggest lead of the day at 24-12.  Central Michigan went on to take a 2-0 match lead with the 30-18 victory.

Game three saw CMU again take the early advantage.  Sara Warner gave the Lady Chipewas a 7-2 lead when she recorded her second ace of the match.  Back-to-back kills from Blackwelder cut the deficit to four (12-8) but with USA trailing 13-10, Central Michigan reeled off four unanswered points to stretch the lead back out to 17-10.  After a Hundley attack dropped in, South Alabama trimmed the CMU lead to 17-14.  The Chipewas didn’t allow the Jag women to get any closer, as they quickly pushed the lead back out to double figures at 25-15.  With Central Michigan holding match point at 29-20, South Alabama attempted to rally back with four straight points.  The Jag comeback was stopped there though as Whitney Evers capped of the match with her seventh kill of the day.  Central Michigan took the game 30-24 and the match 3-0.

Blackwelder and Swilley each recorded a team-high 10 kills to lead the Jags offensively on the day, while the Chipewas were led by Kate Fissel and Baker with 14 and 13 kills, respectively.