Box Score - Southern Illinois 3, South Alabama 1 (.pdf)

ST. LOUIS – The Southern Illinois front line recorded 15 blocks and held the University of South Alabama volleyball team in check as the Salukils captured a 3-1 (25-18, 19-25, 25-17, 25-12) victory Friday evening in the opening match of the Active Ankle Challenge, hosted by Saint Louis University at Chaifetz Pavillion.

“Southern Illinois is a very good team, but we weren’t executing our offense well enough to push them tonight,” South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said.  

SIU (3-1) posted five solo blocks and 20 block assists to hold USA (2-2) to a .097 hitting percentage.  Alysia Mayes led all players with three solo blocks and five block assists.  Taylor Pippen added five blocks – one solo and four assists – and Laura Thole had four block assists as well.  As a team, USA – which entered the match averaging 2.09 blocks per set – was held to just 12 block assists for the match.

Despite the opening round loss, Hendrichovsky looks for the Jaguars to bounce back as they head into their two matches on Saturday.

“I knew this weekend was going to be a good challenge for us.  I look for our players to rebound and move on, because tomorrow’s a new day,” Hendirchovsky said.  

USA will close out tournament action on Saturday for a pair of matches.  The Jaguars will against Valparaiso at 10 a.m. and then face the host Billikens at 7 p.m.  Live stats can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com.  

Jag freshman Savannah Stewart led the way with nine kills and just missed out on a double-double with a season-high 11 dig effort.  Lindsay Schwartz chipped in with eight kills of her own.  Junior libero Jenna Hassell paced the club with 16 digs, moving her into 10th on USA's career digs list.

Southern Illinois used a balanced attack versus the Jags in the victory as four players ended the night in double figures.  Mayes and Thole each posted a match-high 14 kills, while Jessica Whitehead and Pippen had 12 apiece.  Mayes also led the Salukis with a .619 hitting percentage (14-1-21), while Pippen was just as efficient with a (.450).  As a team, Southern Illinois ended the match with .273.  Bailey Yeager led SIU in the back court with 22 digs and Thole added 12.

SET ONE: Southern Illinois 25, South Alabama 18
South Alabama opened the match on fire with Stewart leading the way early on.  The freshman outside hitter from Ladera Ranch Calif., led a 5-0 run for the Jags to begin the first set with three kills.

SIU came right back and trimmed the deficit to 7-5 following a kill from Whitehead.  The Salukis kept chipping away over the next several points and tied the contest up at 9-9 after another Whitehead put away.  On the next point, the junior outside hitter gave Southern Illinois its first lead of the contest with her fourth kill of the frame.

The Salukies later extended the lead to five (21-16) after two more kills from Thole and went on to take the set, 25-18.

SIU posted a .256 hitting percentage in the first frame, while the Jaguars had a .086.  Whitehead and Thole led the way offensively in the first set for Southern Illinois with six and five kills, respectively.  

SET TWO: South Alabama 25, Southern Illinois 19
USA led briefly at the start of the second set, but SIU answered right back with a 7-2 run over the next nine points to take the lead (7-4).  Mayes sparked the Saluki rally with a pair of kills and teamed up with Elly Braaten to block a pair of Jaguar attacks during the scoring spurt.

South Alabama kept chipping away at the deficit and knotted the set back up at 10-10 after Torlandria Jones slammed home a kill of her own.  Three points later, Jones teamed up with Schwartz to turn back a SIU attack and put South Alabama back out in front, 12-11.

Schwartz later helped USA stretch its advantage out to 16-13 as the senior added two more kills.

The Jaguars were able to hold the lead from there and eventually went on to tie the match back up at a set apiece when Schwartz’s sixth kill of the frame sealed a 25-19 second-set victory.

After hitting a .086 during the opening set, USA bounced back and recorded a .316 – its best of the night – in set two.  

SET THREE: Southern Illinois 25, South Alabama 17
In the third set, SIU took control from the outset and did not relinquish it for the rest of the frame, as the Salukis opened up with a 5-1 run.  

Jaguar setter Katariina Kanenen narrowed the deficit to one (8-7) when the senior dropped in a kill, but that was as close as USA would get the rest of the way.

Over the next 11 points, Southern Illinois reclaimed the momentum and extended its lead back out to 16-10.  Pippen had a pair of kills during the run and Mayes added two more blocks.  Whitehead later gave SIU the 25-17 victory with another kill.

Southern Illinois posted its best hitting percentage of the evening in the third set, finishing the frame with a .323.

SET FOUR: Southern Illinois 25, South Alabama 12
Mayes and Pippen helped the Salukis get off to another fast start in the fourth and final set as the duo paced Southern Illinois in a 12-4 run to begin the frame.  Mayes registered three kills and a block, while Pippen added a kill and two blocks of her own.  USA didn’t help its cause as the Jags contributed four other unforced errors during the run.

Holding an eight point lead, South Alabama was unable to get any closer the rest of the way as SIU closed out the match with a 25-12 fourth-set victory.

South Alabama struggled to find its offensive touch in the final set of the match, as the Jags committed nine attack errors with five kills on 33 attempts for a -.121 hitting percentage.  SIU aided that low offensive tally with three solo blocks and six block assists.

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 meeting between the two clubs was the first-ever...South Alabama is now 1-3 all-time versus the Missouri Valley Conference…USA – which entered the Billiken tournament averaging 2.09 blocks per set – was held to just 12 block assists for the match…Southern Illinois posted five solo blocks and 20 block assists for a 15.0-6.0 advantage in that category…South Alabama freshman Savannah Stewart led the way with nine kills and just missed out on her first career double-double with a season-high 11 digs in the loss...With her 16 digs versus the Salukies, Jenna Hassell moved into 10th on USA's career digs list...She now has 835 for her career.

-- USA --