MOBILE, Ala. ? The University of South Alabama volleyball team battled in the final two sets, but it was not enough as the Jags dropped a 3-0 (12-25, 20-25, 19-25) Sun Belt Conference decision to Middle Tennessee Saturday evening at Jag Gym on “Senior Night”.

USA (10-12, 4-10 SBC) will now head to Troy for a key match against the in-state rival Trojans on Friday night (Nov. 7) at 7 p.m.  Middle Tennessee improves to 21-4 on the year and 11-2 in league action with the win.

Juliana Pallamin de Almeida and Brittany Blackwelder, playing in her final home match, led the Jags with seven kills each.  The Blue Raiders were paced offensively in the match by Izabela Kozon’s 14 kills. 

SET ONE: Middle Tennessee 25, South Alabama 12

South Alabama was able to keep things close early on and led by as many as two at 7-5.  However, Middle Tennessee didn’t let USA keep the momentum long as the Blue Raiders quickly pushed across six of the final seven points to retake the lead at 11-8.  South Alabama didn’t help its cause any during the scoring spurt as the Jags committed four attack errors.  Still holding the lead at 15-11, MTSU’s Kozon ignited another run for the Blue Raiders, this one a string of eight unanswered points.  MTSU went on to take the early match lead with the 25-12 win.

SET TWO: Middle Tennessee 25, South Alabama 20

Again in the second set, USA was able to keep things close early on.  After an Almeida kill, the two clubs were all square at nine.  Middle Tennessee though re-took the lead and stretched things back out with an 11-4 run.  Lindsey Cheatum gave the Blue Raiders a seven-point advantage with a put away of her own, her third kill of the run.  The Jags didn’t roll over and fought back, cutting the deficit to 23-23 after a MTSU attack error, but that was as close as South Alabama got.  Middle Tennessee went on to pick up the final two points of the set and take the 25-20 victory.  Kozon was the main offensive weapon for the Blue Raiders through the first two sets, recording 11 of her kills during that span.

SET THREE: Middle Tennessee 25, South Alabama 19

Like the previous sets, South Alabama was able to hang with the Blue Raiders during the first half of the match, only to see Middle Tennessee pull away at the midway point.  Kari Frazier pulled USA to within one at 13-12 with her second service ace of the night, but MTS answered right back with six straight points and never looked back.  USA was able to get as close as three (21-18), but the Blue Raiders went on to take the set and the match with the 25-19 win.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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