South Alabama 3, Alabama A&M 0 (.pdf)
Louisiana Tech 3, South Alabama 1 (.pdf)
MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team split its two matches on Saturday at the Jaguar Classic held at Jag Gym, defeating Alabama A&M 3-0, but falling 3-1 to Louisiana Tech in the second match of the day.
“I liked our effort this morning against Alabama A&M,” South Alabama head coach Nicole Keshock said. “I felt like we stay calm even when (Alabama A&M) challenged us. We found a way to fight through it. Tonight (against Louisiana Tech), we just had some players that we have counted on fall apart in key moments and we didn’t follow the game plan.”
USA will return to action next weekend when the Jags open play at the Colonel Classic in Thibodaux, La., on Friday versus Alabama State at 12:30 p.m.
South Alabama’s Katariina Kananen and Melissa Waelter were each selected to the all-tournament team while Elizabeth Neisler and Lauren Hutchinson of Samford, Lindsey Young (Southeastern Louisiana), Bianca Bin (Louisiana Tech) and Clarissa Moore (Alabama A&M) were also named to the squad.
MATCH ONE: South Alabama 3, Alabama A&M 0
In its first match of the day, South Alabama (2-4) hit a season-best .326 (43-12-95) to sweep in-state foe Alabama A&M 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-21) at the Jaguar Classic.
The Jags were led offensively by freshman outside hitter Maureen Ros, who just missed recording her first double-double of the season with 11 kills and nine digs. The Doetinchem, Netherlands native posted her 11 kills on 16 attempts and committed just one attack error for a .625 attack percentage. Senior outside hitter Samia Salomao was right behind Ros with nine kills of her own.
Alabama A&M’s (1-7) Karensa Beckford also had 11 kills, while Clarissa Moore chipped in with eight of her own. Moore led the club with a .571 attack percentage as she did not record an error in her 14 attempts. As a team, the Bulldogs managed to hit just .067 in the loss.
SET ONE: South Alabama 25, Alabama A&M 15
Both clubs kept things close over the first half of the opening set as neither was able to garner more than a two-point advantage over the first 20 points of the frame. With Alabama A&M holding an 11-9 lead, South Alabama erupted for a huge run and took control of the set. Following a Bulldog serving error, USA’s Melissa Waelter dropped in her sixth ace of the tournament to knot things back up at 11. Later in the run, Salomao and Lea Thurm slammed home three kills each and recorded six-straight points for the Jags to increase their lead to 20-13. Three more AAMU errors capped off the run for the Jaguars and gave USA its largest lead at 23-13. Junior Elina Strautniece – seeing her first action of the season – sealed the 25-15 victory for South Alabama with her first kill of the season.
The Jaguars came out on fire in the first set against the Bulldogs, posting 15 kills on 32 attacks, while committing just two errors for a hitting percentage of .406.
SET TWO: South Alabama 25, Alabama A&M 17
In the second set, South Alabama broke an 8-all tie with a spurt of four-straight points, two of those coming off the serving of Jenna Hassell. Alabama A&M pulled back to within one on two more occasions, but that was as close as the Bulldogs would get the rest of the set. Maureen Ros provided most of the offense for the Jags down the stretch, posting four of her five kills in the frame during USA’s final seven points. Olivia Mohler put the Jaguars up 2-0 in the match with a putaway to give South Alabama the 25-17 set two victory.
USA maintained its solid hitting in the second set, recording an attack percentage of .345 (14-4-29). The Bulldogs managed to just hit .077.
SET THREE: South Alabama 25, Alabama A&M 21
South Alabama was once again able to break a 13-13 tie in the third and final set with a run of five unanswered points. Mohler began the run with one of her eight kills versus the Bulldogs. Then after a string of three straight AAMU attack errors, Salomao capped the run off and put USA up 18-13 with a kill of her own. From there, the Jags were able to maintain the lead and clinched the set (25-21) and the match on a Waelter’s kill.
USA used a balanced attack in the finale, as Salomao, Ros, Mohler and Waelter each recorded three kills apiece in the frame.
MATCH TWO: Louisiana Tech 3, South Alabama 1
In the final match of the tournament, Louisiana Tech improved to 4-3 on the season with a 3-1 (28-26, 25-23, 16-25, 25-21) victory over South Alabama.
The Techsters were led offensively by Clara Vido and Marcella Braz who each recorded 11 kills. Vidro also posted a match0high 18 digs, while LTU libero Stephany Salas added 16 of her own.
USA placed three players in double digits, led by Waelter’s 14 kills. Mohler and Salomao each added 10 of their own. Salomao also added 14 digs for her 16th career double-double. Jenna Hassell was solid on defense as she recorded a season-high 20 digs. Katariina Kananen added 43 assists and 14 digs for her second double-double of the season.
SET ONE: Louisiana Tech 28, South Alabama 26
The first set saw Louisiana Tech jump out to a quick 9-2 advantage to start the frame. USA didn’t help it’s self early in the run as four Jaguar attack errors led to all but one of the Techsters first five points. Emily Maher later posted three-straight service aces and Bianca Bin’s kill capped off the scoring and gave LTU the seven-point advantage.
South Alabama battled back though over the next several points and eventually tie the contest up at 15-15. Trailing by two (10-12), Waelter led the charge for the Jags, recording four straight kills to pull USA to within one. The freshman later tied the contest up at 15 with an ace.
Once again, Louisiana Tech would retake the lead, pushing it out to as much as three, only to see USA battle back and bring things all square at 20-20. South Alabama did manage to retake the lead on the next point after a miracle save from Thurm was returned out-of-bounds by Tech.
Later in the set, Waelter put the Jags just one point away from taking the opening set at 24-22, but Louisiana Tech pushed across two consecutive points – a kill from Caitlin Germany and an ace from Bin.
In extra points, Ros slammed home a kill right down the middle of the court to tie the set back up at 26-26, but LTU turned to its defense for the final two points of the set. Germany and Maher combined for a block assists and Clara Vidro then made a diving save off of a Jaguar attack that found the floor in the USA backcourt to give Louisiana Tech the 28-26 first-set win.
SET TWO: Louisiana Tech 25, South Alabama 23
South Alabama didn’t allow the Techsters to get out to an early advantage in set two like the previous frame, grabbing the lead from the outset. Leading by just two at 13-11, Waelter again sparked the Jags with a kill and an ace as USA reeled off four of the next five points and stretched its lead out to 16-12.
Coming out of a time out though, Louisiana Tech began to mount a rally reeling off seven of the next eight points take a 20-18 lead. During the run, Regan Himmelberg and Bin combined for a block. Vidro then posted back-to-back solo blocks of her own to give Tech the lead.
LTU held the lead over the remainder of the match, but USA was able to battle back and pull within one (24-23) on a Tech attack error, but on the next point, South Alabama committed a ball handling error to give Louisiana Tech the 25-23 victory.
SET THREE: South Alabama 25, Louisiana Tech 16
Tied early on at five in the third set, South Alabama broke away first with a run of five unanswered points. Louisiana Tech aided the Jaguar spurt with two attack errors and Katariina Kananen recorded two aces – the last giving USA the 10-5 advantage. Tech would only get as close as two the rest of the way – 15-13 on a kill from Maher – as South Alabama trimmed the match deficit to 2-1 with the 25-16 set victory. USA held its largest lead of the frame at 24-15 after block assists from Thurm and Strautniece.
Waelter and Mohler paced the Jaguar offensive attack during the frame with four kills apiece. After not hitting over .100 in each of the first two sets, USA posted an attack percentage of .296 in the third set.
SET FOUR: Louisiana Tech 25, South Alabama 21
Like the third set, South Alabama broke an early 5-5 tie in the fourth set with four-straight points to grab the lead. USA would hold the lead for much of the frame and led by as much as six on three occasions. Still leading 20-15 after a kill from Salomao, USA looked to be in control, but Louisiana Tech would close the match strong, finishing on a 10-1 run. The Jags aided the Techsters during the final scoring run with six errors. Braz completed the comeback and clinched the match with a kill to give LTU the 25-21 fourth-set win.
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).
-- USA --
