Box Score - Alabama A&M 3, South Alabama 1

Box Score - UNC-Asheville 3, South Alabama 1

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team dropped a pair of 3-1 decisions Friday during day two of the Jaguar Classic held at Jag Gym, falling to Alabama A&M during the first match and UNC-Asheville in the night cap.

“We’re just inconsistent right now,” South Alabama head coach Nicole Keshock said.  “Our players will have a good match one night and then they are off the next match.  Certain skills are on one match and then off the next.  I think with experience that will come together.  We will get more consistent, but that’s what is hurting us right now.  I was glad we were able to fight back against UNC-Asheville.  This afternoon (against Alabama A&M), I didn’t feel like we came out prepared.  Tonight though, I felt we were a little more focused, a little more prepared.  We found a way to keep ourselves in the match against a very good and a very disciplined team.”

USA (1-5) will return to action on Saturday morning when the Jags host Alabama State at 9 a.m.

MATCH ONE: Alabama A&M 3, South Alabama 1
Juliana Almeida’s career-high 22 kills and 16 digs were not enough to overcome costly miscues by the Jaguars as Alabama A&M (1-3) picked up a 3-1 (25-22, 21-25, 25-22, 25-21 victory over South Alabama at the Jaguar Classic.   Samia Salomao also tallied the first double-double of her career with a 12 kill, 16 dig performance.  Also finishing in double-digits in digs for USA were Kari Frazier (21) and Jenna Hassell (17)

The costly stat for South Alabama against the Bulldogs proved to be on the offensive end of the court, as the Jags had 52 kills on 170 attacks, but committed a season-high 38 errors to yield just an .082 hitting percentage. 

Alabama A&M was paced offensively by Clarissa Moore’s 14 kills.  Amie Goodwin also chipped in with 10 kills of her own, while Rose Corneille had a match-high 21 digs.

SET ONE: Alabama A&M 25, South Alabama 22
The opening set of the match was close throughout with neither team able to gain more than a four-point advantage on the other.  USA held the largest lead of the set at 16-12 after a Jordan McMullan ace and a Bulldog attack error, but Alabama A&M hung around and began to chip away at the Jaguar lead.  With USA leading by three (18-15), South Alabama committed a serving error and three-straight attack miscues to aid a run of six unanswered points for the Bulldogs.  Moore and Courtney Jenkins capped off the run for AAMU with a kill each to give the visitors the 21-18 advantage. 

South Alabama was able to tie the contest back up at 21-21 after kills from Almeida and Jaclyn Nickels and a Bulldog attack error, but coming out of a time out, the Bulldogs regained the momentum and closed the set by taking four of the final five points to earn the 25-22 victory.

Almeida led all players during the opening frame with six of her 22 kills in the match.  USA held Alabama A&M to just six kills, but didn’t help its self as the Jags committed 13 attack errors and five service errors.

SET TWO: South Alabama 25, Alabama A&M 20
USA came out and took control right from the start in set two, beginning the frame with an 8-2 run.  Almeida continued her strong play during the run, as the Jag outside hitter had a pair of kills and an ace.  After the Bulldogs hand trimmed the deficit to four, Olivia Mohler slammed home a pair of kills of her own and Almeida combined with freshman middle blocker Torlandria Jones to turn away a couple of Bulldog attacks.  From that point on, South Alabama never let Alabama A&M get any closer than four.  Almeida evened the match for the Jags when she blasted another kill to give the Jags the 25-20 victory.

After struggling to find its rhythm in the first set, USA did a better job offensively in the second, recording 14 kills and committing just four attack errors.

SET THREE: Alabama A&M 25, South Alabama 22
Like the first set, the third set saw the teams tied 11 times and exchange the lead on six occasions.  Trailing by one at 15-14, South Alabama reeled off four-straight points and took an 18-15 lead after two kills from Salomao and another kill from Almeida.  The offensive struggles for the Jags returned however down the stretch.  Holding 22-19 advantage, the Jags looked to be in control, but it was at that point when the Bulldogs capitalized on a number of South Alabama errors and closed the set with six unanswered points.  During the Alabama A&M run, USA committed a service error and five attack errors.

SET FOUR: Alabama A&M 25, South Alabama 21
In the fourth set, South Alabama held control early on as the Jags were able to jump out to a 9-4 lead.  Almeida gave USA the six-point advantage when she dropped in one of her three aces on the afternoon.  Coming out of a time out though, Alabama A&M answered right back with 13-3 run to take the lead.   The Bulldogs the five-point advantage on a Jag attack error, one of their seven during the set. 

South Alabama battled back and tied the contest back up at 21-21 after back-to-back kills from Salomao and Almeida, but one the next point, Alabama A&M’s Moore started a run of four points for the Bulldogs that sealed the 25-21 fourth set victory.

MATCH TWO: UNC-Asheville 3, South Alabama 1
After struggling the first two sets, South Alabama tried to mount a late rally but it wasn’t enough as UNC-Asheville (3-2) picked up a 3-1 victory over the Jags.

Almeida paced the Jags offensively with 17 kills, while Salomao recorded her second double-double of the day with 10 kills and 16 digs.  Frazier also had 20 digs for USA in the loss.  The Bulldogs were led offensively by Cindi Miller’s 17 kills and Kelsey Benorden’s 16 kills.

SET ONE: UNC-Asheville 25, South Alabama 12
UNC-Asheville grabbed the momentum right out of the gate during the first set, jumping out to a quick 7-3 lead.  Holding a 12-8 advantage, the Bulldogs pushed across seven consecutive points to open up an 11 point lead.  UNCA’s Cindi Miller slammed home back-to-back kills to cap off the scoring for UNC-Asheville and give the Bulldogs a 19-8 lead.  Miller led the attack for UNCA with seven first-set kills.  The Bulldogs came out on fire, recording a .536 hitting percentage (16 kills and one error on 28 attacks) and picked up the 25-12 first-set win.

SET TWO: UNC-Asheville 25, South Alabama 19
In the second set, South Alabama took the early momentum when the Jags reeled off five-straight points to grab a 13-9 lead.  Almeida and Salomao got things started with a kill each and then after three Bulldog attack errors, USA held the four-point advantage.  Coming out of a time out though, UNC-Asheville answered right back with a run of its own, this one a 9-2 scoring spurt that gave the Bulldogs the lead for good.  Asheville continued to hold the momentum and eventually went on to take the 25-19 set victory.

SET THREE: South Alabama 25, UNC-Asheville 22
Trailing 2-0 in the match heading into the third set, South Alabama got off to the quick start, picking up six of the first eight points.  After the Bulldogs battled back to tie the contest up at 7-7, USA pushed across four-straight points, two coming on kills from South Alabama’s Jones.  UNC-Asheville threatened to pull even with the Jags on a few occasions down the stretch, but Salomao capped off the 25-22 victory for USA with her seventh kill of the match.

SET FOUR: UNC-Asheville 25, South Alabama 23
Like the second set, the final set of the night was a back-and-forth contest with 11 ties and five lead changes.  Neither team was able to gain more than a three-point advantage on the other, but with the frame all knotted up at 23-23, Miller slammed home two-straight kills to give UNC-Asheville the 25-23 set victory and clinch the match for the Bulldogs.

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).