MIAMI - The University of South Alabama volleyball team fought hard Sunday afternoon but dropped a 3-0 (26-28, 19-25, 18-25) decision to Sun Belt East Division leader Florida International at U.S. Century Bank Arena.

USA (11-12, 2-8 SBC) will now return home for a pair of matches beginning with North Texas on Friday at 7 p.m.  The win for the Golden Panthers extended their win streak to 12 and improved their record to 19-2 and 9-0 in league play. 

Lindsay Schwartz paced the Jags with nine kills and seven block assists in the loss.  Yarimar Rosa led all players with a match-high 19 kills and 16 digs.  Olga Vergun (11) and Isadora Rangel (10) also finished in double-figures for FIU. 

SET ONE: Florida International 28, South Alabama 26

Florida International came out on fire and opened up the match with an 8-2 run.  The FIU run was led by the duo of Rosa and Jovana Bjelic, who combined for five kills.  Later in the set, the Golden Panthers took their largest lead at 12-4 after a kill from Vergun.

South Alabama narrowed the deficit to 17-12, but FIU pushed across three of the next points and looked as if it were going to cruise to the first-set victory.  However, after a Jag time out, South Alabama began to mount its rally as over the next 12 points, USA out scored Florida International, 9-3.  The defensive frontline of Schwartz, Pratt and Almeida capped off the run with three straight block assists. 

Rosa put FIU at set-point after another kill, but the Jags answered with three consecutive points of their own and set one point away from completing the come back after another Schwartz kill.  FIU tied things back up on the next point and over the next few points the two clubs exchanged the lead a couple of times.  With the set knotted up at 26, Vergun posted two straight kills to give the Golden Panthers the 28-26 win.

Rosa recorded six of her kills in the first frame, while Vergun and Rangel each had five.  Schwartz had six kills as well for the Jags, while also recording five block assists.

SET TWO: Florida International 25, South Alabama 19

In the second set, South Alabama was able to keep things close for the first half of the set.  Holding a 15-11 lead though, the Golden Panthers reeled off five unanswered points to stretch their lead out to nine.  FIU led by as many as 10 (23-13).  USA made another late charge, getting as close as six, but Rosa sealed the 25-18 victory with her 11th kill of the match.

SET THREE: Florida International 3, South Alabama 18

Coming out of the intermission, the Golden Panthers kept the momentum, jumping out to an 8-3 lead.  The scoring spurt for FIU was led by Rosa, who had three kills.  Florida International stretched its lead out to as many as eight over the next several points, but like in the two previous sets, USA made a late charge.  After Jennica Hagberg's aces narrowed the gap to 21-17, FIU answered back with four of the final five points to take the set 25-18 and the match.

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).

NOTES: After recording its worst attack percentage of the season on Friday night against FAU, South Alabama bounced back to hit .227 against Florida International on Sunday.  With the win, FIU now holds an 18-4-1 advantage in the all-time series and have won 16 of the last 17 meetings.

-- USA --