Southern Miss 3, South Alabama 0 (Box Score)


HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team dropped its season-opener Friday afternoon, falling 3-0 (12-25, 15-25, 15-25) to Southern Miss on day one of the Southern Miss Invitational at the Reed Green Coliseum.

“Our offense just wasn’t on today,” South Alabama head coach Nicole Keshock said.  “I thought we did pretty well in our passing and our serve/receive.  Southern Miss is a very experienced team and we didn’t do well in the areas where we needed to score points – blocking and hitting.  Those will be the focus for our next match.  In her first collegiate match, I felt Jenna Hassell came in and did well for us.”

USA (0-1) will continue tournament action on Saturday with a pair of matches.  The Jags will take on Kennesaw State at Noon, followed by Nicholls State at 2:30 p.m.  Samia Salomao had five kills for the Jags, while Juliana Almeida and Olivia Mohler each recorded four of their own.  Hassell had a match-high 11 digs for South Alabama in the loss.

The Golden Eagles (1-0) were led by junior outside hitter Ashley Meal’s 10 kills and 10 digs.  Halie Ecker also added nine kills of her own.  Junior setter Kelsea Seymour had a strong showing for USM, finishing with four kills, eight digs and 30 assists.  

SET ONE: Southern Miss 25, South Alabama 12

Southern Miss took control of the opening set right from the start and opened the frame with an early 7-2 lead.  USA could only get as close as four the rest of the way, before allowing USM to take a 1-0 match lead with a 25-12 victory.  USM used a balanced attack throughout the first set, as four players recorded three kills.  The Golden Eagles also out-hit the Jags .360 to -.033.

SET TWO: Southern Miss 25, South Alabama 15

In the second set, the two clubs exchanged the first few points, but tied at 3-3, Southern Miss reeled off five unanswered points to take the lead for good.  USA kept battling over the next several points and Salomao narrowed the deficit to two (12-10), but South Alabama committed errors on four of the next six points to let the Golden Eagles stretch their lead back out to 17-11.  With the deficit later cut to 17-14 after an Almeida ace, USM closed out the set with an 8-1 run en route to the 25-15 set two win.

SET THREE: Southern Miss 25, South Alabama 15

Coming out of the intermission, South Alabama kept things close over the first third of the final set, but with the frame tied 8-8, the Golden Eagles again used another unanswered run of points to take command, this one a string of six-straight points.  Amelia Henderickson later clinched the set and the match victory when she dropped in one of her four kills. 

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).