Box Score - Jackson State 3, South Alabama 2 (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team, which had won eight-straight home matches dating back to last season, suffered its first home loss of the season Wednesday evening as the Jaguars dropped a 3-2 decision (25-14, 16-25, 21-25, 25-12, 10-15) to Jackson State at Jag Gym.

“I think our team relaxed (after the first set) and then found themselves trying to get out of it,” South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said.  “We were making unforced errors and that allowed Jackson State to get ahead.”

USA (13-12) will continue its five-match home stand when the Jaguars host in-state rival Troy on Saturday at 7 p.m.  Live stats for the match versus the Trojans can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com.

With the win, JSU extends its current win streak to 12 and improves to 15-11 on the season.

The Jaguars were paced offensively by senior middle blocker Olivia Mohler’s 11 kills – her sixth double-figure kill match of the season.  USA’s Savannah Stewart also just missed out on a double-double with nine kills and 10 digs.  The freshman outside hitter also set a new season-high with four aces.  Emily Hundt also carded a career-best five aces, part of a season-high 11 service aces by the club.  Junior libero Jenna Hassell led all players with 26 digs in the loss.

JSU’s Christine Edwards registered a match-high 18 kills to lead the Tigers on the offensive side of the net.  Mikayla Rolle added eight kills, while Kameron Boggan and Jenna Siddiqui also chipped in with six kills each.  Boggan also recorded a team-high eight block assists.  Jackson State held a 9.0 – 6.0 advantage at the net, posting one block solo and 16 block assists.  Angelica King paced the team with 17 digs in the back court.

SET ONE: South Alabama 25, Jackson State 14
Leading by just one early on in the opening set, South Alabama used a 7-1 run to pull away from the Tigers.  Melissa Waelter, Mohler and Stewart began the Jaguar run with a kill.  USA then took advantage of four JSU attack errors to cap off the scoring and extend the lead out to seven (10-3).  

Later with USA leading 13-4 following a kill from Torlandria Jones, Jackson State began to chip away at the deficit and pushed across seven of the next 10 points to trim the Jaguar advantage to five (16-11).  Edwards led the way for the Tigers during the run as the senior posted four of her seven first-set kills during that stretch.

Two points later though, South Alabama put the set away as the Jaguars reeled off another 7-1 run to sit one point away from going up one set to none in the match.  Mohler registered two of her four kills in the frame and Stewart dropped in a pair of aces.  

The Jaguar defense sealed the 25-14 victory for USA as Mohler and Katariina Kananen teamed up to turn back a Tiger attack.

South Alabama came out hot offensively in the first set, posting a .375 attack percentage.  

SET TWO: Jackson State 25, South Alabama 16
Jackson State grabbed the first three points of the second set, but led by the play of Meghan Miller, the Jaguars came storming back and pushed across six of the next seven points to take a 7-5 lead.  Miller had three kills and a block assist during the run for USA.  

With the set tied 9-9, JSU broke the set open and rattled off a 9-1 run, quickly jumping out to an 18-10 lead.  Boggan sparked the Tiger run as the senior posted a pair of kills and a pair of block assists.  Jazmyn Hunter also had two block assists, while Edwards added two aces during the scoring spurt.  

From there, Jackson State would hold control for the remainder of the set and go on to pick up the 25-16 set win.

After committing just three attack errors in the first set, the Jaguars recorded seven in the second, while also committing five service errors.

SET THREE: Jackson State 25, South Alabama 21
Tied 5-5 early in the third set, the Tigers were the first club to stretch out their lead as they pushed across four-straight points and took a four-point lead following bad set by South Alabama.

The Tigers later extended their lead out to as much as nine (17-8) after a Jaguar attack error.

With JSU later leading 19-11, South Alabama began to attempt to rally back.  Mohler ignited a 6-2 run for the Jags over the next eight points and Jones’ solo block later trimmed the deficit to 21-17.  USA kept chipping away at the deficit and pulled to within three (24-21) after back-to-back kills from Deanna Canfield, but the Tigers took the ensuing point and picked up the set (25-21) on a USA ball handling error.  

SET FOUR: South Alabama 25, Jackson State 12
After falling behind 2-1 in the match, South Alabama came out with a much more focused effort in the fourth set, jumping out to a 9-1 lead.  Amber Wyatt came off the bench and provided a spark, posting two kills and a block assist during the Jaguar run.

Lindsay Schwartz – who didn’t play in the first three sets due to illness – came into the Jag line up in the fourth set and provided instant offense as she posted five kills and pushed the South Alabama lead out to double digits (13-2) after back-to-back kills.  

USA held control for the rest of the frame, eventually leading by as much as 14, before eventually evening the match at two sets apiece with the 25-12 fourth-set victory.  Stewart gave the Jaguars the 13-point victory with two aces.

The serving game was also a key for USA in the fourth set, as the Jags – who had had just three aces during the first three sets – recorded six in the fourth set.

SET FIVE: Jackson State 15, South Alabama 10
In the fifth and final set, Jackson State took advantage of four Jaguar attack errors and jumped out to an 8-1 lead.  Edwards and Siddiqui also added an ace apiece during the run.

South Alabama made a late charge and fought off three match points, the last two coming on back-to-back aces from Hundt, but Hunter’s kill on the next point clinched the set and the match for the Tigers, 15-10.

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 loss for the Jags snapped the team’s eight-match home win streak, dating back to the end of the 2011 season.  USA had been 6-0 so far this season before the loss to Jackson State on Wednesday.  The loss was also the first for South Alabama in the series against Jackson State since the 1979 season and snapped a 10-match win streak.  USA had also been 5-0 at home versus JSU.  True freshman Meghan Miller made her first collegiate start versus Jackson State, starting in place of senior Lindsay Schwartz who did not start due to illness.  The win also extended Jackson State’s win streak on the season to 12.  The five aces by USA’s Emily Hundt was a career-best for the freshman.  The 11 kills versus JSU marked the sixth double-figure kill match for senior middle blocker Olivia Mohler.  The 11 aces against Jackson State were also a season best for the Jaguars, surpassing their previous high of 10 set against Georgia State.  The five-set loss was the first for South Alabama this season, as it had won its previous three five-set decisions.

-- USA --