JONESBORO, Ark. - The University of South Alabama volleyball team dropped a 3-0 (19-25, 14-25, 10-25) Sun Belt Conference decision to Arkansas State Friday evening at the Convocation Center. 

"We didn't play well tonight and right now we are just lacking leadership," South Alabama head coach Nicole Keshock said.  "When we are able to get that back, we will be back to playing like the way we know how."

With the loss, South Alabama falls to 9-8 on the year and 0-4 in league play.  The Jags will conclude its current road swing when they take on UALR at the Jack Stephens Center on Saturday at 5 p.m.  Arkansas State improves to 13-5 on the year and 3-1 in the SBC with the win.

Taylor Coughlin (ASU) led all players with 11 kills for the Red Wolves, while Juliana Almeida and Lindsay Schwatz each recorded five kills apiece to pace USA. 

The key stat in the match came from behind the serving line, where Arkansas State recorded nine aces in the match compared to just one by the Jags.  South Alabama also had nine service errors in the loss.

SET ONE: Arkansas State 25, South Alabama 19

South Alabama hung tight with the Red Wolves for much of the opening set.  Almeida pulled the Jags to within one at 19-18 with a kill, but ASU closed strong, ending the set with a 6-1 run.  Christin Baker and Brittany Hoag sealed the 25-19 victory for the Red Wolves when the duo combined to block a Jaguar attack.

In the opening frame, USA's errors from behind the service line proved costly as the Jags committed eight of their nine service errors during the set.

SET TWO: Arkansas State 25, South Alabama 14

In the second set, ASU grabbed the lead from the outset and never relinquished it, taking three of the first four points.  Holding a 12-8 lead, the Red Wolves out scored South Alabama 7-3 over the next 10 points to pull away and stretch their lead out to 19-11 on a kill by Hoag.  Arkansas State eventually went on to go up 2-0 in the match with the 25-14 set two win.

During the second set, the Red Wolves posted a .370 attack percentage, while USA hit a - .062.

SET THREE: Arkansas State 25, South Alabama 10

With things tied at 6-6 after an Allegra Pratt kill, Arkansas State broke things open and took the lead for good in the finale with a 9-2 scoring spurt.  Kelsie Hodges started the ASU run with a kill of her own, and Heather Bowman capped things off with one of her three aces on the night to give the Red Wolves a 15-7 lead.  Hoag's back-to-back kills at the end of the set, gave ASU the 25-10 victory to complete the sweep.

In the third set, Arkansas State recorded 16 kills on 28 attacks, while committing just two attack errors for a .500 attack percentage.  USA recorded a .182 hitting percentage in the final set.

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: The loss to Arkansas State marks the fourth-straight time this season that USA has been swept in Sun Belt play.  Dating back to the end of the 2008 season, South Alabama has now lost six consecutive SBC regular-season matches in straight-sets.  With the win, ASU has now taken seven of the last nine meetings in the all-time series and hold a 21-2 advantage.  After recording 104 aces through its first 14 matches, USA has recorded just three in its last three contests.

-- USA --