South Alabama 3, Florida International 1 (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – After dropping the first set, the University of South Alabama volleyball team rallied to pick up the final three sets and keep its hopes for a berth in the Sun Belt Conference tournament alive with a 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 25-18, 25-20) over Florida International Friday evening at Jag Gym.

“This win feels great tonight because we played as a team and we kept fighting all the way to the end, even when FIU started to comeback late in a couple sets,” South Alabama head coach Nicole Keshock said.  “We put the pressure on them to make the mistakes and they did.  The last couple of matches, we’ve made those errors.  I’m just proud of our girls that they kept fighting and followed the game-plan all the way to the end.  We changed some things midway through the match and they stuck to it.”

With the win, USA improves to 10-17 and 5-10 in the Sun Belt.  With a victory over Florida Atlantic on Sunday and Troy loss to FIU on Saturday, the league will have to go to a tiebreaker to determine final spot.  First serve versus the Owls is set for noon.  Prior to the match, South Alabama will honor its three seniors – Jennica Hagberg, Jordan McMullan and Samia Salomao.

The Jags placed two in double figures led by freshman outside hitter Mauren Ros’ 15 kills – which tied a career high.  Ros recorded her 15 kills on 33 attacks and committed just four errors for a .333 attack percentage.  Fellow freshman Melissa Waelter also ended the night in double figures with 12 kills and a .346 hitting percentage (12-3-26).  Amber Wyatt and Olivia Mohler each chipped in with nine kills apiece.  

As a team, USA had 55 digs.  Leading the way individually in that category was sophomore libero Jenna Hassell, who registered 15 digs.  McMullan added a season-high 14 digs of her own.

FIU (18-9, 9-6 SBC) was paced offensively by Jonvana Bjelica’s 15 kills.  Sabrina Gonzalez and Marija Prsa each had 11 kills in the loss.  

One key stat in the victory for the Jags was in the blocking department where USA held a 10.0 (20 block assists) to 7.0 (one block solo and 12 block assists) advantage over the Panthers.  Mohler led South Alabama in that category with six block assists, while Katariina Kananen and Lea Thurm each had four of their own.

SET ONE: Florida International 25, South Alabama 23

The Panthers opened the match by taking five of the first six points, but the Jags battled back over the next several points, tying the frame up at 10-10 on an ace from Waelter and then taking their first lead of the match after a FIU attack error on the next point.  

With USA still leading by one at 12-11, Florida International looked as if it were going to take control of the set with a run of four-straight points to take a 15-12 lead after a Bjelica kill – one of her six in the opening set.  USA though would again fight back and tied the contest back up at 15-15 when Mohler slammed home a kill of her own.  

After FIU had taken a 20-18 on a block assists from Andrea Lakovic and Gonzalez, the Jags pushed across two-straight points on a Panther serving error and a kill from Amber Wyatt to tie the frame back up.  

With the two clubs tied at 23-23, Florida International’s Silvia Carli recorded a put away to break the tie and Lakovic and Jessica Egan teamed up to turn back another Jaguar attack and give FIU the 25-23 first set victory.

Blocking was a key in the frame as the Panthers posted five total blocks – one block solo and eight block assists – while USA did not record one.

SET TWO: South Alabama 25, Florida international 22

Neither team was able to take more than a three-point lead on the other over the first half of the second set.  Tied at 14-14, South Alabama pushed across three-straight points to take the lead.  Kananen fooled the Panther defense and dumped in a kill to begin the mini-run.  Mohler then followed with an ace and Waelter slammed home a kill to put the Jags up, 17-14.

USA went on to lead by as much as four (23-19) after block assists from Mohler and Kananen, but Carli blasted back-to-back kills for FIU to trim the deficit to two, two points later.  That was as close as the Panthers would get as South Alabama was able to take the set, 25-22, and even the match at one set apiece.

After struggling with the block in the first set, USA recorded six block assists in the second set.

SET THREE: South Alabama 25, Florida International 18

In the third set, Florida International led by three early on, but as they had done in each of the first two sets, USA battled back.  With the frame tied at 7-7, Thurm ignited a 9-2 run for the Jaguars with one of her four kills in the set.  Thurm had had just one total kill through the first two sets combined.

USA continued its run with an ace from Waelter.  Thurm then teamed up with Wyatt for another block assist.  Mohler and Wyatt later combined for South Alabama’s third block of the run to cap off the scoring and extend the Jag advantage to 16-9.

South Alabama later pushed its lead out to double figures at 23-13 after Waelter’s attack deflected off an FIU defender to give the freshman middle blocker her eighth kill of the match.  The Panthers were able to make a late charge and narrow the deficit to six (24-18) on a kill from Carli, but USA picked up the final point and took the third frame, 25-18 when Florida International’s attack went long.  

SET FOUR: South Alabama 25, Florida International 20

Riding the momentum, South Alabama jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead in the fourth and final set and led wire-to-wire.  Waelter led the way during the Jaguar run, posting three kills.  Later in the set, Ros gave USA its largest lead at 22-13 when the freshman slammed home yet another kill.  FIU was able to make a late charge, pulling to within four (24-20) after a Jaguar attack error, but on the next point, South Alabama clinched both the set and the match when Jessica Egan’s attack went long.  

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: The victory versus Florida International snapped a 13-match losing streak to the Panthers in the series and was the first since a 3-2 victory over FIU in Miami back on Oct. 3, 2004.  The win was also just the second-ever in Mobile versus the Panthers in 10 tries.  USA is now 5-21-1 versus FIU all-time.  With her 15 kills, USA’s Maureen Ros tied a career-high.  Jordan McMullan was two digs away from tying her career high.  

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