Box Score - South Alabama 3, Arkansas State 2

MOBILE, Ala. – Behind senior outside hitter Juliana Almeida’s 20 kill, 33 dig performance, the University of South Alabama volleyball team completed its weekend sweep with a thrilling 3-2 (25-14, 17-25, 25-17, 23-25, 15-12) Sun Belt Conference victory over Arkansas State Sunday afternoon at Jaguar Gym.  

“We really wanted to try and focus on being more consistent in our match today,” South Alabama head coach Nicole Keshock said.  “We didn’t want to have those inconsistent moments or sets like we have had at times this year.  There were a few moments in set two, and even in sets three and four for a little bit, but it wasn’t an entire set.  We played more like a team.  Arkansas State is a good team.  We just kept competing and fighting back.”

Almeida posted one of the best performances of her career at USA, finishing with a .390 attack percentage, while also finishing with four assists and six block assists to go along with the 25th double-double of her career.  The 33 digs for Almeida are the second-highest tally in a match and the most by a Jag since Keturah Carter’s 35 against Alabama on Oct. 14, 1989.

“Juliana was amazing for us today,” Keshock added of Almeida’s efforts.  “We have talked with her about the fact that it doesn’t matter how many kills or digs she has, but it is when she has those.  I think she played one of her best matches of her career today.”

Jessica Lewis also finished in double-figures offensively with 10kills for USA, while Samia Salomao and Jenna Hassell added 16 and 15 digs, respectively.

USA (8-11, 3-1 SBC) will continue its four-match homestand next weekend when the Jags welcome Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee to Jag Gym.  South Alabama will take on the Hilltoppers on Friday at 7 p.m. and then face Middle Tennessee on Sunday at noon.   The 3-1 start to conference play is the best start for the Jags since the 1994 season when they began league play with a 4-1 record.  The win versus Arkansas State is also just the third in the series for USA and the first since the 2005 season.

The Red Wolves drop to 7-9 overall and 1-3 in the conference with the loss.  ASU was led offensively by Jasmine Terry’s 14 kills, while Kelsie Hodge finished with 11.  Megan Baska also eclipsed the 30-dig mark in the match as she ended the afternoon with 30.  

SET ONE: South Alabama 25, Arkansas State 14

The Red Wolves led by one early on in the opening set, but an ASU attack error ignited a 13-2 run over the next 15 points and gave the Jags a lead that they would not relinquish the rest of the frame.  Lewis sparked the run for USA as the freshman posted three kills and two block assists during the scoring spurt.  From that point on, South Alabama never allowed ASU to get any closer than nine, as it went to captured the 25-14 first-set victory.

USA opened up the match hitting .281 and committed just two attack errors, while Arkansas State hit a -.023 and had 10 offensive miscues.

SET TWO: Arkansas State 25, South Alabama 17

South Alabama carried the momentum over to the start of the second set, beginning the frame with four-straight points.  With USA holding a 7-3 advantage, ASU pushed across six unanswered points and took a 10-7 lead after a Taylor Coughlin kill.  Taylor later increased the Red Wolves’ lead to eight (18-10) with one of her four kills in the set.  The Jags attempted to climb back in the match and trimmed the deficit to 20-17 after three consecutive Arkansas State attack errors, but coming out of a time out, the Red Wolves closed the second set with five-straight points to even the match at one set apiece with the 25-17 win.

SET THREE: South Alabama 25, Arkansas State 17

USA came out of the intermission and took control of the third set right from the start, pushing across the first three points.  South Alabama kept the momentum over the next several points and built an eight-point lead at 13-5 after a kill from Almeida.  The senior had six of her 22 kills in the match during the third set.  The Jags took their largest lead of the frame (17-8) when Hassell came up with a huge dig that on the over pass dropped in on the ASU side of the net for a kill.  The Red Wolves were able to get as close as three on a couple of occasions late, the last coming at 20-17 after an Ashley Tipps put away, but USA closed strong and picked up the final five points to capture the 25-17 victory.

SET FOUR: Arkansas State 25, South Alabama 23

South Alabama held the lead for much of the fourth set, but leading 19-15 after a kill from Almeida, Arkansas State rattled off four unanswered points and tied the contest back up at 19-all after a kill from Terry.  Over the remainder of the set, the two clubs kept it close and exchanged the lead twice, but tied at 23-23, ASU was able to push across two-straight points after put aways from Whitney Nilson and Coughlin and pick up the set, 25-23

SET FIVE: South Alabama 15, Arkansas State 12

In the fifth and deciding set, ASU held a 11-10 lead after a dump shot from setter Allison Kearney, but the Red Wolves committed a serving error and two attack errors over the next three points to key the Jags’ come back.  Almeida put USA at match-point two points later with yet another kill and the Jags then clinched the victory after another Arkansas State attack error.

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).