TROY, Ala. - The University of South Alabama volleyball team fell in straight-sets Monday evening to in-state rival Troy, 3-0 (18-25, 23-25, 20-25), in Sun Belt Conference action at Trojan Arena. 

"The last three matches, we have been very unfocused," South Alabama head coach Nicole Keshock said.  "We are playing a little bit out of character right now.  We know what needs to be done and how to do it, but we are just not right now.  Now, we have to get back in the gym and find that team that we had a week ago."

The Jags (9-7, 0-3 SBC) will continue Sun Belt Conference this weekend when they travel to Arkansas State and UALR.  USA will open the trip against the Red Wolves on Friday at 7 p.m. and then face the Trojans on Saturday at 5 p.m.

With the win, Troy improves to 6-8 and 2-1 in league action.

Lindsay Schwartz led the Jags with eight kills in the loss, while the Trojans were paced offensively by all-SBC performer Mehgan Gilroy's 13.

SET ONE: Troy 25, South Alabama 18

South Alabama pushed across the first two points of the opening set, but the Trojans answered right back with seven unanswered to take an early five-point advantage.  USA didn't help its cause during the run, as the Jags committed four attack errors over that stretch.

Jennica Hagberg narrowed the deficit to 14-11 when the sophomore setter dumped in a shot, but Troy pushed across six of the next eight points to increase its lead to 21-14 on a Kayla Giles kill.  With the Trojans sitting at set-point (24-15), USA attempted to mount a rally with three straight points, but Brittany McClelland clinched the 25-18 win with her first kill of the match.

The telling stat of the opening set was in the attack errors column where USA committed nine, compared to just four from Troy.

SET TWO: Troy 25, South Alabama 23

With the Trojans holding a 12-8 lead after a kill from Gilroy, Hagberg dropped in another shot for the Jags to start a quick 5-0 spurt.  Lindsay Schwartz capped off the scoring run and gave USA its first lead of the set (13-12) when the sophomore slammed home one of her eight kills in the match.

After exchanging points over the next few minutes, Troy eventually stretched its margin out to three (17-14), but the Jaguars kept battling and tied the contest back up at 18 on an ace from Juliana Almeida.  USA's defense then stepped up and put  South Alabama back out in front on the next point when Lea Thrum and Olivia Mohler combined to turn away a Trojan attack. 

After exchanging the lead down the stretch, South Alabama held a 23-21 lead after a Schwartz's put away, but coming out of a time out, Gilroy ignited a charge by the Trojans with her eighth kill of the night.  After a ball-handling error by USA, Gilroy and Lizzie Clough recorded back-to-back kills to give the Trojans the 25-23 second set victory and put Troy up 2-0 in the match. 

SET THREE: Troy 25, South Alabama 20

In the third set, Troy grabbed the first two points and led by as many as four early on.  South Alabama kept battling and was able to pull within one (10-9) after Hristina Markova and Mohler combined for a block, but that was as close as USA would get the rest of the set.

Leading 14-12, the Trojans reeled off five consecutive points and grabbed a 19-12 lead on a kill from Giles.  USA got as close as three late, but the Trojans held on to take the set and the match with 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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