Box Score - South Alabama 3, Florida Atlantic 0 (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team improved to 2-1 in Sun Belt Conference action with its 3-0 (27-25, 25-18, 25-23)sweep of Florida Atlantic  Friday evening at Jag Gym.

“It’s good to get the win tonight as we go further into conference play,” South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said.  “I think again, we were faced with some adversity.  Our team has shown though that no matter what’s going on, they’re still going to compete and fight and find a way to get the job done.”

With the win, USA improves to 9-8 overall on the season and will next host Florida International on Sunday at 1 p.m.  FAU falls to 4-9 and 0-3 in the league.

Melissa Waelter led the way for the Jaguars with 13 kills and nine digs, while also recording a pair of aces.  Senior middle blocker Olivia Mohler added nine kills and a match-high six block assists.  Savannah Stewart also chipped in with seven kills for South Alabama, while Lindsay Schwartz and Torlandria Jones had six apiece.

“That’s a luxury that we are trying to get out of our offense,” Hendrichovsky said of the Jaguars’ balanced offensive attack.  “We don’t want to have just one person carry us necessarily.  We are looking for multiple people to contribute offensively.”

The Owls were paced offensively by Darija Sataric’s nine kills.  Thacilli Pereira finished with eight kills of her own and Chandler Hatton, Alessia Pizzocheri and Sara Stoll had six each.  Sataric also led the Owls with four block assists.

SET ONE: South Alabama 27, Florida Atlantic 25
South Alabama was the first to break away during the opening set.  Trailing by one (4-3), USA pushed across seven of the next nine points and took a 10-6 lead following an Owl attack error.  Waelter recorded three of her six kills during the Jaguar run.  South Alabama went on to extend its lead during the set to as much as seven (15-8) following block assists from Stewart and Mohler.

Florida Atlantic began to chip away at the Jaguar lead over the next several points and tied the contest back up at 20-20 when Darija Sataric and Sara Stoll teamed up to turn back an attack by USA.  The Owls retook the lead on the next point after a kill from Stoll.

 Down the stretch the two clubs kept it close with neither able to take more than a one-point lead on the other.  In extra points, USA was able to push across the final two points to take the set.  Waelter slammed home another kill and then on the next point, Jenna Hassell made a diving dig of an Owl attack which trickled over the net and found its way just inside the line to give the Jaguars the 27-25 victory.  Hassell – who had not started the match after spraining her ankle in warm ups – was able to return to the line up during the middle of the set.

Chandler Hatton had five kills of her own for Florida Atlantic in the set.  

SET TWO: South Alabama 25, Florida Atlantic 18
FAU grabbed the first two points of the second set, but USA answered back with a 10-4 run.  Mohler paced the Jaguars during the early scoring, posting two kills and a block assists.  Waleter also added a kill and an ace.

USA maintained that lead over the next several points, but the Owls kept chipping away at the deficit and finally pulled even at 14-14 after a Jaguar attack error.  

With the two teams still tied two points later, Jones provided a spark for the Jaguars when the redshirt sophomore recorded back-to-back kills and teamed up with Waelter for a block to begin a run of four unanswered points for USA.  From there South Alabama would close strong as the Jaguars held control the rest to the set, en route to the 25-18 victory.  Over the final 10 points for USA, Jones played a part in five of them, registering three kills and two block assists.

Mohler sealed the seven-point second set victory for South Alabama with her sixth kill of the match.

SET THREE: South Alabama 25, Florida Atlantic 23
In the third set, the Jaguars jumped out to an early 6-3 lead following a kill from Mohler.  However, FAU responded back with a run of seven straight points to retake the lead at 11-6.  Sataric and Megan Knapp began the Owl run with a block and Cintia Nightingale capped things off with an ace to give Florida Atlantic the five-point advantage.

As they had done each of the previous two sets, South Alabama began to claw its way back and tied the frame back up at 14-14 after a kill from Schwartz and a FAU attack error.  After trading the next 10 points, the Jaguars took a three-point on a Mohler kill and back-to-back kills from Waelter, giving USA a 22-19 lead.  FAU reeled off three-straight points of its own to tie the contest back up though.

South Alabama pushed across the next two points after two unforced errors by the Owls to take the lead for good and later clinched the set and the match (25-23) when Pereira’s attack went long.

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 win, South Alabama evens the all-time series 7-7.  The Jaguars have now won the last four meetings in the series.  Waelter has now led USA offensively in two of the last three matches.  With her 13 kills, Waelter now has seven double-digit matches this season and 19 for her career.  The six block assists were a new season-best for senior middle blocker Olivia Mohler.  During the intermission in between sets two and three, the 1982 team was recognized for recording a school-record 42 wins – one of the 50 Great Moments in Jaguar athletics.  

-- USA --