MIAMI ? The eighth-seeded South Alabama volleyball team gave No. 1 seeded Florida International all it could handle for most of the match on Thursday, but it was not enough as the Jags fell to the Golden Panthers 3-1 (13-25, 25-22, 25-27, 20-25) in the opening round of the 2008 Sun Belt Conference Tournament held at US Century Bank Arena on the FIU campus.
“We had talked all season along about playing a complete match, and I felt that today we came the closet we had all season to playing one,” South Alabama head coach Nicole Keshock said. “Even in set one, as both teams were trying to get settled into the match, I felt we played well for the most part. Once set two came around, I felt that we were loose and played calm and relaxed. I’m just so proud of how we came out and competed today. I think it made a big statement for our program. Yes we were the eighth seed, but I feel we proved that we deserved to be here.”
South Alabama ends its season with an 11-15 mark, while FIU advances to the semifinal round, where the Golden Panthers will play the winner of the No.4 New Orleans/No. 5 UALR match on Friday at 5 p.m.
Juliana Pallamin de Almeida led USA with 12 kills, while freshman middle blocker Lindsay Schwartz also added 11 kills for the Jags. Senior middle blocker Brittany Blackwelder was close behind with nine kills of her own. The Robertsdale, Ala., native also chipped in with two service aces, three digs and two block assists in her final collegiate game.
Yarimar Rosa was one of four Golden Panthers to finish in double figures with a match-high 21 kills. Isadora Rangel (12), Sabrina Gonzalez (11) and Andrea Lakovic (10) also added double figures in the win.
SET ONE: No. 1 Florida International 25, No. 8 South Alabama 13
After trailing by five early on, Schwartz helped USA trim the deficit to two (9-7) with a pair of kills and two block assists over the next seven points of the set. Florida International, playing in front of its home crown, then reeled off six of the next seven points to extend its lead back out. The Golden Panther scoring run was capped off when setter Natalia Valentin dumped a shot into the middle of the court that put FIU up 15-8. South Alabama was unable to make a run the rest of the way, as Florida International went on to take the 25-13 victory in the opening set. The Golden Panthers were on fire in the first set, hitting a .480, compared to a .133 by the Jags. Rosa (FIU) and Schwartz (USA) each recorded four kills in the set.
SET TWO: No. 8 South Alabama 25, No. 1 Florida International 22
South Alabama and Florida International kept things close for most of the second set with neither team able to take more than a two-point advantage on the other. With the score tied at 19, Blackwelder put the Jags out in front for good when she slammed home a kill and then on the next point recorded a service ace. FIU got as close as one three times down the stretch, but USA took the final two points of the set, the last coming on a Almeida kill to give the Jags the 25-22 victory and even the match at one set apiece. South Alabama was much more efficient with its offense in the second set, improving its percentage to .387 (14 kills, 31 attempts, 2 kills). After committing just two attack errors in the first frame, FIU recorded eight in the set.
The second set victory marked the first time USA had been able to take a set in its last three tournament appearances, the last coming against FIU at the 1999 tourney.
SET THREE: No. 1 Florida International 27, No. 8 South Alabama 25
Like the previous set, the two clubs kept it close early on with neither team gaining more than a two-point advantage through the first half of the set. With USA holding a 16-15 advantage, FIU was able to push across four straight points and took a 19-16 lead after a Jaguar attack error. After USA had cut the deficit to one four points later on a Schwartz kill, the Golden Panthers looked as if they had retaken control of the set with another 4-0 run and set at set point, 24-19 after a Lakovic put away. USA did not quit and pushed across six unanswered points to retake the lead at 25-24 on a Golden Panther attack error. Almeida led the way over the run with three more kills. Coming out of a time out though, the top-seeded Panthers answered the Jaguar run with three-straight points of their own and took the set with the 27-25 win.
SET FOUR: No. 1 Florida International 25, No. 8 South Alabama 25
In the fourth and final set, South Alabama led by as many as three, but with the Jags up 9-6 after another Almeida kill, Florida International took the lead for good with a 10-2 run over the next 12 points. USA trimmed the FIU advantage to three (20-17) after back-to-back kills from Almeida and kept it around that margin for much of the remainder of the match, until, Rosa, the SBC Player of the Year, recorded the final two points of the match with back-to-back kills to give Florida International the 25-20 victory.
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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