BOWLING GREEN, Ky. ? The University of South Alabama volleyball team fell to Western Kentucky University (25-8, 25-11, 25-15) Friday night at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky.

WKU improved its record to 22-9 and 11-5 in SBC play. The Lady Toppers finished the match with 48 kills and a .557 hitting percentage, while the Jags finished with 16 kills and a .069 hitting percentage.

Brittany Blackwelder finished with three kills and two block-assists in the match for the Jags, and teammate Maria Kashavelova tallied 13 assists.

WKU’s Megan Argabright finished with a game-high 13 kills and .750 hitting percentage, while Brittany Bowen and Aquila Orr recorded 11 kills each.

USA (11-13, 5-11 SBC) will close the regular season Saturday when it travels to Murfreesboro, Tenn. to take on Middle Tennessee.

SET ONE:  Western Kentucky 25, South Alabama 8

Western Kentucky used a 7-0 run to build an 8-1 lead early in the set. The Jags scored four consecutive points late in the set, but couldn’t hold off the WKU attack. The Lady Toppers finished the set with 13 kills and a .706 hitting percentage. USA senior Brittany Blackwelder tallied two kills in the set, and Maria Kashavelova finished with four assists.

SET TWO:  Western Kentucky 25, South Alabama 11

South Alabama tied the score 3-3, before WKU went on a 4-0 run to take a 7-3 lead. The Jags scored three unanswered points to cut the lead to 7-6; however the Lady Toppers went on a 6-0 run to grab a 13-7 lead. WKU outscored USA 12-4 from that point on to win the set. WKU finished with 17 kills and a .542 hitting percentage in the set, while the Jags had six kills and a .045 hitting percentage.

SET THREE: Western Kentucky 25, South Alabama 15

The third set featured three lead changes before WKU finally took control late in the set. The Jags jumped out to a 3-1 lead, before the Lady Toppers used a 5-0 run to grab a 6-3 lead. USA tied the score 8-8 and again at 9-9, before WKU went on an 8-0 run to take a 17-9 lead. The Jags finished with six kills in the set and a game-best .143 hitting percentage. The Lady Toppers ended the final set with 18 kills and a .483 hitting percentage.

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).