Box Score - South Alabama 3, Troy 2

TROY, Ala. – Behind season-high tallies in both blocks and digs, the University of South Alabama volleyball team captured a thrilling 3-2 (25-22, 25-21, 21-25, 20-25, 19-17) Sun Belt Conference victory over Troy Friday evening at Sartain Hall.  Against the Trojans, the Jaguars posted 14 total blocks (26 block assists and one solo block) to go along with their 90 digs.

“One thing that we have tried to focus on is doing a better job with our block at the net and tonight we were able to do that,” South Alabama head coach Keshock said.  “We still had two sets were we kind of lost a little bit of our focus, but I’m proud of our players ability to come back and play calm when the match was tight in the final set.”

USA (9-13, 4-3 SBC) had three players record 20-plus dig performances in the win.  Freshman libero Jenna Hassell led all players with a career-high 27 digs, while Juliana Almeida and Katariina Kananen each had 20 digs.  Jaclyn Nickels led South Alabama at the net as the senior middle blocker posted a career-high eight block assists.  USA had five other player end the match with three blocks or better.

Offensively, Samia Salomao and Olivia Mohler paced USA with 14 kills apiece.  The 14 kills for Mohler were a new career-best for the sophomore.  Freshman middle blocker Torlandria Jones added 13kills of her own.

With the loss, Troy falls to 10-14 on the season and 2-5 in league play.  Brittany McClelland and Natasha Kolunija each had a match-high 16 kills, while Kayla Giles chipped in with 14.  On the defensive side, the Trojans had four players finish in double-figures in digs led by Alexandra Alexander’s 24.

The Jags will break for a week, but then continue their three-match road trip when they travel to Denver, Colo., to take on the Pioneers on Oct. 22 at 8 p.m. (CT).

SET ONE: South Alabama 25, Troy 22

South Alabama held a five-point lead early in the opening set, but after a ball handling error and three Jaguar attack errors, the Trojans came right back and tied the contest up at 6-6.  Neither team was able to gain more than a two-point advantage on the other until with the first set tied at 19-19, USA took the lead for good when the Jags were able to push across four of the next five points and take a 23-20 lead after a Trojan miscue.  Troy pulled to within one two points later, but South Alabama’s Jones and Salomao posted back-to-back kills to seal the 25-22 win for USA.

SET TWO: South Alabama 25, Troy 21

USA led by as much as five early on in the second set at 10-5 after an ace from Kananen, but the Trojans slowly chipped away at the South Alabama advantage and pulled to within one at 13-12 after a Giles kill.  The Jags answered right back by picking up six of the next seven points to widened their lead to 19-13.

Troy battled back and narrowed its deficit to 21-19 after a pair of kills from Giles, but coming out of a time out, Salomao posted two-straight kills give USA some breathing room.  From there, the Jags held on and took a 2-0 lead in the match with the 25-21 second-set victory.

SET THREE: Troy 25, South Alabama 21

Coming out of the intermission, the Trojans held the momentum through most of the set, leading by as much as four (16-12). Coming out of a time out, USA was able to close the deficit to one three points later after a kill from Salomao and two consecutive blocks.  Nickels turned back a Trojan attack and then teamed up with Mohler to deny another Troy attack.  USA later used its defense again and tied the contest back up at 18-18 after a block assists from Almeida and Jones.

With the two clubs still tied at 19 two points later, Troy retook the lead for good when the Trojans reeled off five unanswered points and then held on to take the set with the 25-21 win.

SET FOUR: Troy 25, South Alabama 20

Neither team was able to pull away from the other for the first half of the fourth set, but the Trojans broke a 14-14 tie and took the lead for good with a 5-1 run that was capped off by a Kolunija kill.  USA was able to get as close as three on a few occasions, before Troy went on to even the match up at two sets apiece with a 25-20 win.  Devin Von Pingel clinched the five-point win for the Trojans with her sixth kill of the match.

SET FIVE: South Alabama 19, Troy 17

In the fifth and deciding set, South Alabama held as much as a three-point advantage for most of the set, but Troy rallied late and set at match-point on three different occasions.  The Jaguars though held off the Trojans and with the set tied 17-17, pushed across the final two points they needed to take the match and the set with a 19-17 set victory.  Mohler broke the tie with her 14th kill of the evening and Almeida then clinched the two-point win when she slammed home a kill. 

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 her kill in the first set, USA’s Juliana Almeida moved into fifth-place on the career kills chart…She now has 1,047 for her career…Samia Salomao also continued to climb a career chart as the junior moved into sixth place in career digs, passing Beverly Ferren…She now has 886 for her career…Both the 14 total digs and 90 digs were season-high for the Jags…With the win, USA improves its record to 35-20 in the all-time series and 13-11 in matches held in Troy.

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