MOBILE, Ala. ? The University of South Alabama volleyball team picked up a 3-0 (30-28, 30-23, 30-14) Sun Belt Conference victory Friday night at Jag Gym to snap a 23-match league losing streak.
With the win, South Alabama improves to 6-10 overall and 1-5 in the Sun Belt. The Jags will continue their three-match homestand on Saturday, when they host Louisiana-Lafayette at 5 p.m. Louisiana-Monroe (0-18) remains winless on the season and drops to 0-5 in the Sun Belt.
“Coming into the match tonight, I knew it would be very tough since our teams are similar,” South Alabama head coach Nicole Keshock said. “We both wanted our first conference wins of the season and fortunately we were at home. In games one and two, I didn’t think that we played our type of game and Monroe to their credit kept battling. In game three, I thought our team was extremely focused and kept the focus throughout the remainder of the match.”
USA used a balanced offensive attack on the night to pick up the victory. Brittany Blackwelder had a match-high 11 kills, while Jenna Swilley and Hristina Markova each finished the match with 10 apiece. Johanna Spreen and Candice Howell paced the Warhawks with seven each.
The difference in the match, especially in game three, was in the service category. The Jags recorded 11 aces on the night, seven of which came in the finale, compared to just three from ULM. Juliana Pallamin de Almeida (5) and Lauren Robbins (4) led the way in that category.
GAME ONE: South Alabama 30, Louisiana-Monroe 28
Both clubs struggled hitting the ball for much of the opener. With the score tied at 10-10, South Alabama looked as if it were going to take control of the match when the Jags went on a 7-2 run over the next nine points. With USA unable to put ULM away, the Warhawks kept battling back and took the lead at 24-22 after an 11-4 run. Howell ignited the scoring spurt for Monroe with one of her seven kills in the match. After the Jags tied the contest back up two points later, the two clubs went back and forth down the stretch. Swilley finally sealed the two-point victory for South Alabama when the senior slammed down a kill of her own.
GAME TWO: South Alabama 30, Louisiana-Monroe 23
In the second game of the match, South Alabama held the lead for much of the first half of the game only to see ULM again battle back and eventually tie the contest back up at 21-21. Still knotted up at 22-all two points later, the Jags closed the game on an 8-1 run that was highlighted by a pair of Almeida aces to go up 2-0 in the match.
GAME THREE: South Alabama 30, Louisiana-Monroe 14
Coming out of the intermission, South Alabama left any doubt, opening game three with 13 of the first 16 points. Robbins and Almeida led the way as the two Jags recorded a combined five aces during the opening run. USA went on to lead by as many as 17 before taking the 30-14 victory on an Almeida put away.
