CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. ? The University of South Alabama volleyball team fought hard but dropped its opening match of the 2008 Country Inn & Suites Challenge Friday evening 3-1 (23-25, 20-25, 25-23, 17-25) to Central Michigan at Maclellan Gym on the UT-Chattanooga campus.  The loss was the first of the season for the Jags.

“I felt our team really played with a lot of effort in sets 1-3, but for some reason we didn’t show it in set four,” South Alabama head coach Nicole Keshock said.  “As hitters, we went away from what had been working for us early on and tried some different things that didn’t end up working for us.”

USA (2-1) will continue tournament play on Saturday with a pair of matches.  The Jags will face the host Lady Mocs at Noon (ET) and then take on Alabama A&M at 2 p.m. (ET).  The meetings between UTC and AAMU will be the first ever for South Alabama between the programs. 

The Jags were led offensively Hristina Markova’s 14 kills and four service aces in the loss.  CMU had three players record double figure kill tallies in the win, led by Whitney Evers 15.  Kate Fissel (14) and Lauren Krupsky (11) were the other two Chippewas to record double digits.

With the win, Central Michigan improves to 3-1 on the year. 

SET ONE:  CENTRAL MICHIGAN 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 23

In the opening set of the tournament, neither team was able to take control early, until with the Jags holding a 6-5 lead, Central Michigan’s Whitney Evers and Kaitlyn Hurt combined for four of the Chippewas next five points to give CMU a 10-6 advantage.  The Jags kept battling back though and eventually tied things back up at 16-16 after true freshman Lindsay Schwartz dropped in one of her six kills in the first set, this one coming just inside the line.  After exchanging points back-and-fourth over the next few points, the Chippewas were able to take the lead for good at 20-18 after a block assists from Kaitlyn Shultz and Stephanie Budde and a ace from Budde.  USA was able to get as close as one down the stretch before Central Michigan held on take the opening set 25-23.

SET TWO:  CENTRAL MICHIGAN 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 20

Trailing by three in the second set, USA’s Markova tied things up at 11-11 when the sophomore outside hitter recorded three straight points for the Jags, courtesy of a kill and back-to-back aces.  The Chippewas answered the Jag spurt and reeled off five of the next six points to push their lead back out to four (16-12), a lead they would not relinquish.  South Alabama was able to close the gap to one with three more unanswered points, but CMU eventually went on to take the 25-20 victory and go up 2-0 in the match.

SET THREE:  SOUTH ALABAMA 25, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 23

Like the previous two sets of the match, the two clubs battled back-and-fourth through the first half of the match, exchanging the lead on seven occasions and tying the contest up nine times.  With USA trailing 13-12, Juliana Pallamin de Almeida ignited a run of six straight points for South Alabama.  The Jag scoring spurt was capped off by defense as Brittany Blackwelder and Almeida combined for a block assist to put USA up 18-13.  CMU kept battling and after consecutive kills from Fissel and Krupsky, trimmed the deficit to one at 24-23.  With the Jags holding set point though, Almeida sealed the two-point victory (25-23) when the sophomore blasted a kill off the Chippewas defense.

SET FOUR:  CENTRAL MICHIGAN 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 17

In the fourth set, Central Michigan jumped out quick on the Jags, pushing across five of the first six points and never looked back.  Carrying the early, the Chippawas rode the back of Fissel in the beginning part of the set, as the 6-2 senior outside hitter was responsible for five of CMU’s first eight points (four kills and one block assist).  USA was able to get as close as three, before eventually falling 25-17.

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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