South Alabama 3, Florida Atlantic 1 (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – While the University of South Alabama volleyball team honored its three seniors prior to its match versus Florida Atlantic on Sunday, it was freshman outside hitter Maureen Ros who led the way offensively for the Jags as they defeated the Owls 3-1 (25-22, 21-25, 25-15, 25-16) at Jag Gym.

Ros tied a career high with 15 kills and posted a .500 hitting percentage (15-3-24), while also adding six digs, three assists and two block assists.  Junior middle blocker Olivia Mohler was right behind Ros with 14 kills and a .407 attack percentage.  As a team, USA recorded a .312 hitting percentage with 60 kills on 128 attacks.  

South Alabama (11-17, 6-10 SBC) closes out the season as winners of four of its last seven matches.  While USA did manage to finish the season in a four-way tie with UALR, Louisiana-Lafayette and Troy for the final two Sun Belt tournament positions, UALR and Troy were awarded the final two spots as per the league's tiebreaker procedures.

“This was a great weekend for us, with our win on Friday and just how well we played,” South Alabama head coach Nicole Keshock said.  “As a coach, you are always concerned with how your team is going to come back after a big win. We were a little slow at the start of the match today, but then we came out of it and played great.  It’s bittersweet because it’s the last home match for us because we are playing very, very well right now.  To see the season end, makes it bittersweet.  We are proud of all our girls.  Our freshmen have done great the whole season for us and today was no exception.”

Prior to the match, seniors Samia Salomao, Jordan McMullan and Jennica Hagberg were honored.

With the loss, Florida Atlantic finishes the year 3-26 and 0-16 in the Sun Belt.  Sara Stoll led the Owls offensively with 13 kills and a .417 attack percentage.  Stoll also had two solo blocks and two block assists.

One key stat from the match was in the dig category, where USA held a 51-35 advantage.  Jenna Hassell led the way individually with 16.  

SET ONE: South Alabama 25, Florida Atlantic 22

South Alabama led 9-6 early in the first set after back-to-back kills from Ros, but FAU’s Georgia Robinson ignited a 9-3 run for the Owls with a kill.  During the run, Florida Atlantic was able to take its first lead of the afternoon at 10-9 when Robinson and Alessia Pizzoncheri teamed up to turn back a Jaguar attack.  Darija Sataric later capped off the run with a kill of her own to extend the Owls’ lead out to 15-11.

Coming out of a time out, USA was able to come right back with a big run of its own, reeling off six of the next seven points.  Olivia Mohler put the Jags up 18-16 with one of her two kills in the opening set.  

FAU was able to battle back from a couple of three-point deficits and get as close as one – the last coming at 23-22 after kills from Robinson and Chandler Hatton, but following a Jaguar time out, Ros blasted her seventh kill of the set to end the threat and USA took the set, 25-22, on the next point after an Owl ball-handling error.

Ros was extremely efficient in the first set, posting seven kills on 11 attacks with no errors for a .636 hitting percentage.

SET TWO: Florida Atlantic 25, South Alabama 21

The Jags held an early 11-9 lead in set two after kills from Salomao and Katariina Kananen, but the Owls came right back and answered with five unanswered points and took a 14-11 lead on a Grace Vega service ace.  The Owl run began after a South Alabama attack error.  Robinson then added two added a pair of kills, while Stoll had one of her own prior to the ace from Vega.

South Alabama was able to hang around over the remainder of the set and narrowed the deficit to 23-21 after an Amber Wyatt kill, but coming out of a time out, Stoll posted her fifth kill of the frame.  FAU then took the set (25-21) on the next point after a USA attack error.

SET THREE: South Alabama 25, Florida Atlantic 15

The Owls jumped out to a 11-7 lead early in the third set on a kill by Hatton and a Jaguar attack error, but that would be the last lead for Florida Atlantic as USA quickly recaptured the lead with a 12-1 run over the next 13 points.  Ros ignited the run for USA with another kill and Mohler then led the way for South Alabama with four kills and two block assists during the run.  Salomao – playing in her final home match – capped off the scoring for USA when she slammed home a kill of her own to put the Jags up 19-12.  

The Jaguar defense later extended the South Alabama lead out to double figures (23-13) when Thurm and Kananen combined for a block assist.  Salomao later sealed the 25-15 victory and gave USA a 2-1 lead in the match with her third kill of the set.

South Alabama came out of the intermission on fire, posting a .520 attack percentage (15-2-25) in the third set, while FAU struggled to hit a .061 (9-7-33).

SET FOUR: South Alabama 25, Florida Atlantic 16

In the fourth and final set with things knotted up at 8-8, South Alabama broke the frame open and took the lead for good when the Jags pushed across five of the next six points.  Thurm began the run with a put away and then after the two teams traded the next two points, Mohler slammed home three-straight kills to give USA the 13-9 advantage.  

The Jags would go on to control the rest of the set from there, eventually capturing the set and the match, 25-16.  Mohler clinched the victory with her fifth kill of the frame.  

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: USA is now 6-7 in the all-time series versus Florida Atlantic.  For the fourth-straight year, South Alabama finishes the regular season with 11 wins.  The two wins over Florida Atlantic this season mark the first time ever that USA has swept the season series from the Owls.  The wins over FIU and FAU also mark the first time that USA has swept a weekend from the two Florida schools in the same season.  In her final home match, senior outside hitter Samia Salomao recorded nine kills and eight digs versus FAU.  The 15 kills by Maureen Ros tied a career-high for the Jaguar freshman.  

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