MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - The University of South Alabama volleyball team fell in straight-sets 3-0 (19-25, 15-25, 18-25) to Sun Belt Conference East Division foe Middle Tennessee Friday evening at Alumni Memorial Gym.
USA (11-15, 2-11 SBC) will next close out its current road swing on Saturday against Western Kentucky at E.A. Diddle Arena at 5 p.m. With the win, the Blue Raiders extended their win streak to nine and improved to 18-7 overall and 11-1 in league play.
The Jags were led offensively in the loss by Hristina Markova's nine kills. Sophomore middle blocker Lindsay Schwartz also added eight kills. USA's top offensive performer heading into the match, Juliana Almeida, was held without a kill. Almeida led the team with 289 total and 3.28 per set coming into the weekend.
Middle Tennessee was paced by Izabela Kozon's match-high 15 kills. Ashley Mead also chipped in with eight of her own.
Two key statistical categories from the match were in blocks and hitting percentage. The Blue Raiders recorded 17 total blocks on the night, while USA's frontline had just nine. Middle Tennessee also recorded a .318 hitting percentage, while South Alabama was only able to hit a .026.
SET ONE: Middle Tennessee 25, South Alabama 19
South Alabama came out and kept things close early on in the first set against the Blue Raiders, but holding a one point lead (7-6), Middle Tennessee reeled off 10 unanswered points to stretch its lead out to 11. Janay Yancey put MTSU up 17-6 when she combined with Leslie Clark to turn away a Jaguar attack. The attack error for USA was the eighth during the run.
Middle Tennessee took its largest lead of the opening set at 20-8 after another block assist from Yancey and Stacey Olandinni. On the next point though, the Jaguar defense answered and ignited a run for USA. Lindsay Schwartz and Lea Thrum's block assist ignited a scoring spurt for South Alabama. The Jags eventually were able to narrow the deficit to 21-16, as they out-scored Middle Tennessee 8-1 over the next nine points. USA kept the deficit around that margin for the rest of the set, but Kozon gave the Blue Raiders the 25-19 victory with another kill.
South Alabama struggled to get on track offensively in the first set, recording a -.259 hitting percentage.
SET TWO: Middle Tennessee 25, South Alabama 15
In the second frame, the Blue Raiders got off to another quick start, taking eight of the first 11 points. Mead capped off the run with a kill. Later with Middle Tennessee holding an 18-13 advantage, the Blue Raiders closed the set on a 7-2 run to pick up the 25-15 second set win and go up 2-0 in the match.
As a team, MTSU posted 14 kills on 30 attempts, while committing just four attack errors in the set for a .333 hitting percentage in the frame.
SET THREE: Middle Tennessee 25, South Alabama 18
In the finale, South Alabama was able to hang around for most of the set, but with Middle Tennessee leading 20-17, the Blue Raiders closed strong and took five of the final six points to clinch the match with a 25-18 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).
NOTES: With the win, Middle Tennessee increased its advantage in the all-time series to 11-0. The no kills by USA's Juliana Almeida marked the first time in her collegiate career that the junior outside hitter had been held without a kill. Her previous career-low came in here first collegiate match in which she recorded just one kill at Mercer on Aug. 25, 2007.
-- USA --
