BOCA RATON, Fla. ? The University of South Alabama volleyball team’s rally attempt fell short Friday evening as Florida Atlantic outlasted the Jags to pick up the 3-2 (29-31, 29-31, 30-23, 39-37 and 12-15) victory at Grandview Prep Gymnasium.

USA (5-9, 0-4 SBC) will continue Sun Belt Conference action on Saturday when the Jags take on Florida International at Pharmed Arena at 6 p.m. (CT).  With the win, FAU improves to 6-8 overall and 3-1 in the Sun Belt.  For the first time this season, USA had three players record 20-plus kills, led by Hristina Makova’s match-high 22.  Krystena Castro led the Owls with 21 kills.

GAME ONE: Florida Atlantic 31, South Alabama 29
Florida Atlantic came out and reeled off seven of the first 10 points of game one to take the early advantage.  Krystena Castro gave FAU the four point lead with one of her five kills in the opener.  The Owls built as much as a nine point lead at 16-7 in game one, but that is when the Jags seemed to respond.  Lauren Robbins slammed down a kill of her own to ignite a 9-1 run over the next 10 points and pull USA to within one at 17-16.  Brittany Blackwelder capped off the Jag run with back-to-back kills.  South Alabama tied the contest up at 20-20 and over the remainder of the opener both clubs exchanged points back-and-forth.  With the contest knotted up at 29-29, the Owls took the final two points to garner the game one victory.  Katie Arvidson ended the game one when she dropped in a kill of her own. 

GAME TWO: Florida Atlantic 31, South Alabama 29
In game two, the Owls broke an early 5-5 tie with five straight points.  The FAU spurt was aided by three Jaguar attack errors and a pair of Morgan Jones aces.  USA kept the deficit at around the three point margin for the next several points.  Still trailing by three at 21-18, South Alabama was able to push across three straight points and tie the contest up at 21-21 on a Hristina Markova put away.  USA finally captured its first lead of the second game at 25-23 after an Owl miscue and a Jenna Swilley kill.  After another Swilley kill, the Jags led 28-25 only to see FAU rattle off three unanswered points and tie the contest back up.  Tied at 29-29 heading into extra points for the second straight game, Florida Atlantic was able to pick up the final two points and take the 31-29 game two win.

GAME THREE: South Alabama 30, Florida Atlantic 23
Trailing 2-0 in the match, the Jags came out of the intermission and grabbed the early lead.  With USA up by two (10-8), the Jags reeled off five straight points to grab a 15-8 lead.  The run was highlighted by two Juliana Pallamin de Almeida aces.  Swilley later gave USA its largest lead at 20-11 with another kill from the Jag senior, but Florida Atlantic answered right back with six of the next seven points to trim the Jag advantage to 21-17.  FAU’s Arvidson later pulled the Owls to within two at 22-20 with a pair of kills, but this time it was South Alabama who responded.  USA closed the contest on an 8-3 run and picked up the 30-23 game three victory. 

GAME FOUR: South Alabama 39, Florida Atlantic 37
Leading by two (13-11), Florida Atlantic stretched its lead out to 20-13 on the strength of an 8-3 run that was started by a Castro kill.  South Alabama answered the Owl run with one of its own, this one a 6-1 run that cut the deficit to two.  USA was able to pull as close as one on four occasions down the stretch and finally took the lead (29-27) after a pair of FAU attack errors.  Like in games one and two, the two clubs headed into extra points.  Extra points saw the two clubs battle each back-and-forth with neither willing to give in.  Markova finally evened the match up at two games apiece when the Jag freshman dropped in her seventh kill of the fourth game. 

GAME FIVE: Florida Atlantic 15, South Alabama 12
Like much of the match, the finale was a tight contest with neither team able to grab more than a two point advantage on the other.  With the score tied at 12-12, Florida Atlantic pushed across the final three points to take game five and the match with the 15-12 victory.  Deneen sealed the win with her 15th kill of the match.