Box Score - No. 19 Western Kentucky 3, South Alabama 0 (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball fell 3-0 (12-25, 14-25, 23-25) to 19th-ranked Western Kentucky Sunday afternoon on Senior Day at Jag Gym.

“Western Kentucky is an all-around great team,” South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said.  They’re not just a good offensive team or just a good defensive team, they are an all-around competitive team.  They have people that do their roles and do those roles really well.  As a team, they play hard, and I think it’s good for our team to see that, as young as we are and what we are trying to build here at South Alabama.  One day, we will get it there.”

“I think the runs (for Western Kentucky) in the first two sets allowed them to pull away.  We were able to maintain in set three, but I think the main thing that we are trying to do is get our team to stick together and fight.  We did that today and that will help us a lot as we head into next weekend.”  

USA (13-15, 6-7 SBC) will now close out the 2012 regular season next weekend with matches at Florida Atlantic (Friday) and at Florida International (Saturday).  In order to earn a bid into this year’s conference tournament, the Jags must win at least one of those matches.  Live stats for match versus Florida International can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com.

Following the match versus the Toppers, South Alabama honored its five seniors – Katariina Kananen, Olivia Mohler, Elina Strautniece, Valerie Podczasy and Lindsay Schwartz.  

Schwartz led the offensive attack for South Alabama with seven kills and also posted four block assists.  Deanna Canfield and Mohler also added five kills and four block assists, while Torlandria Jones finished with four kills and a match-high six block assists.  Jenna Hassell and Savannah Stewart each had nine digs as well.

Western Kentucky improved to 28-3 overall, 14-0 in the Sun Belt and won its 20th-straight match.  Haley Bodway led all players with 11 kills, while Heather Boyan had 10 of her own.  Topper setter Melanie Stutsman nearly recorded a triple-double, registering nine kills, 33 assists and 11 digs.  Ashley Potts (16) and Jordyn Skinner also ended the after in double digits in digs for WKU.

The Toppers held a huge advantage not only in the kills category (49-27), but also in the digs area (54-30).  Through the first two sets, WKU held a 39-14 advantage in that same area.  Western Kentucky also ended the match with a .324 hitting percentage – just the fifth time an opponent has hit above .300 in a match versus South Alabama this season.  WKU also did so in the first meeting of the season.

USA did set a new season high in block assists with 20 versus Western Kentucky on Sunday.

SET ONE: No. 19 Western Kentucky 25, South Alabama 12
South Alabama led by two (6-4) early on after a block assists from Mohler and Deanna Canfield, but a Jaguar serving error on the next point ignited a run of nine unanswered points for the Hilltoppers and eventually gave WKU a 13-6 advantage.  Stutsman, Bodway and Boyan each had two kills apiece, while Rachel Engle also dropped in a pair of aces during the run.

Western Kentucky held control from there and went on to take the set 25-12.  WKU posted 18 kills and hit .353 in the opening set, while USA managed just four kills in the frame and had a .000 hitting percentage.  Bodway led the Toppers offensively with six kills in the first frame.

WKU also out-dug the Jaguars, holding a 21-7 advantage in that category.  

SET TWO: No. 19 Western Kentucky 25, South Alabama 14
The Toppers got off to another strong start in set two, picking up eight of the first 11 points of the frame.  Paige Wessel and Boyan had two kills each, while Boyan also added a pair of block assists in the scoring WKU spurt.

Nikki Gittens trimmed the deficit for the Jags to 10-6 with a kill of her own, but WKU erupted on another huge run, this one a 9-2 scoring spurt.  Jordyn Skinner capped off the Topper run with the preseason conference player of the year’s first kill of match, extending the Western Kentucky lead to 11 (19-8).  

WKU continued to hold the momentum from there and eventually go on to pick up the 25-14 second-set victory.  The Toppers also continued their impressive offensive showing, posting a .400 attack percentage in the second set.

SET THREE: No. 19 Western Kentucky 25, South Alabama 23
Coming out of the intermission, it was the Jaguars who got off to the quick start in the third set, opening up the frame with a 7-3 run.  The early run for USA was spurred on by Schwartz and Torlandria Jones.  Schwartz had three kills and a block assists, while Jones posted kill and two block assists.

The Hilltoppers kept chipping away at the South Alabama advantage and with USA holding a three-point lead (15-12), WKU pushed across the next five points and took a 17-15 lead after a kill and solo block from Boyan. 

WKU looked to be in control of the set late, but trailing by three (21-18), South Alabama rallied back and reeled off four-straight points to regain the  lead (22-21) after a kill from Jones.  The two clubs traded the next two points and the Jaguars led 23-22, but the East Division leading Hilltoppers managed to pick up the final three points of the match and take the set 25-23.   Boyan clinched the straight-set victory for Western Kentucky with her fourth kill of the set.

Schwartz also had four kills for USA in the third set, while Jones added three of her own.

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:  With the loss, South Alabama drops to 9-38 in the all-time series versus Western Kentucky and dating back to the 1989 season, has dropped 35 of the last 37 meetings, including 26 straight.  The match versus the Lady Toppers was the final home match for USA’s five seniors – Olivia Mohler, Katariina Kananen, Elina Strautniece, Lindsay Schwartz and Valerie Podczasy.  The 20 block assists by the Jaguars versus WKU on Sunday was a new season-best, eclipsing the previous high of 19 set against North Texas.   With her four block assists, Schwartz moved into a tie with Caryn Yonker for sixth on the Jaguars’ career total blocks chart.  Mohler also moved into at tie for eighth in the same category with former Jag Angela Gattis.  Schwartz has 286 for her career, while Mohler has 271.  The loss versus WKU was the fourth-straight for the Jaguars - setting a new season-long streak.

-- USA --