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

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Freshmen outside hitters Jessica Lewis and Mechell Daniel each registered a double-double Sunday afternoon, but it wasn't enough as the University of South Alabama women's volleyball team fell 3-2 (25-17, 26-28, 26-24, 21-25, 8-15) to Texas State at Strahan Coliseum.

"Our team started off well and was prepared for today's match," South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said.  "The issue today was that we weren't able to sustain that type of play for three complete sets.  We were able to play two very good sets and had a hard time finding that third set.  Texas State's backs were against the wall and they were able to respond when they needed to."

USA (7-12, 2-7 SBC) will now return home to host this same Texas State team on Friday night at 7 p.m. at Jag Gym.

Lewis and Daniel each recorded 19 kills to pace the Jaguars offensively in the loss.  Daniel tied a career-best with 17 digs, while Lewis's 15 were a new career mark for the Huntsville, Ala., native.  The double-double performance was the fifth this season for Daniel, while it was the first for Lewis.  

Kelley Little also had a new career-best 17 digs, while Abby Baker had a match-high 18 for South Alabama.

Texas State (15-9, 5-4 SBC) was led by Amari Deardorf, who had 18 kills on 39 attacks and committed just three errors for a .385 hitting percentage.  Deardorff also had nine digs and three aces.  

Ashlee Hilbun and Molly Aherns also recorded double-figure kill tallies with 11 and 10, respectively.  Hilbun also had eight block assists.  As a team, the Bobcats had two solo blocks and 22 block assists.

TSU's Sierra Smith registered a match-best 21 digs.

SET ONE: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, TEXAS STATE 17
With South Alabama holding a two-point lead at 5-3, the Jaguars began to open things up as they reeled off five-straight points.  Symone Stephenson, who was one of four Jag players to register three kills or more in the first set, capped off the run and put USA up 10-3 with a put away.

Stephenson later sparked a run of seven unanswered points for the Jaguars with another kill.  Amber Wyatt also had a kill of her own and a solo block, helping South Alabama grab its largest lead of the frame at 11 (19-8).  Daniel sealed the 25-17 first-set win with her third kill of the match.  

USA was outstanding on the offensive end in the opening set as it hit .310 for the set and had 15 kills.

SET TWO: TEXAS STATE 28, SOUTH ALABAMA 26
Led by the play of Shelby Vas Matt, Texas State got off to a quick start in the second set, picking up nine of the first 11 points.  During the early Bobcat spurt, Vas Matt recorded three kills and three block assists.  

USA trimmed the deficit to 11-7 after back-to-back kills from Daniel, but TSU answered back with three points of its own to extend its advantage back out to seven.  

The Jags again chipped into the Bobcat lead and eventually pulled to within one (19-18) following a bad set from Texas State, but TSU grabbed the next two points to stretch its lead back out to three.

South Alabama continued to battle and finally tied the set back up at 22-22 following a block assists from Daniel and Stephenson and a kill from Daniel.  

In extra points, the Bobcats took the final two points of the frame as Deardorff recorded one of her four kills in the set to put Texas State one-point away from the win.  Hilbun and Keeley Davis then clinched the 28-26 set win as they teamed up to turn back a Jaguar attack.  

SET THREE: SOUTH ALABAMA 26, TEXAS STATE 24
South Alabama led by three (13-10) midway through the third set after a kill from Lewis, but the Bobcats answered right back with four-straight points of their own to retake the lead 14-13 after a kill from Aherns.  

The Jaguars again regained the lead two points later and then extended their lead out to three again at 20-17 after a kill from Daniel, but TSU again responded to retake the lead.  Aherns began the 5-1 run for the Bobcats over the next six points and Deardorff posted her fourth kill of the frame to put Texas State up 23-22.

With the set later tied at 24-24, Lewis gave USA the lead for good with her fifth kill of the set and the Jags picked up the 26-24 win after a ball-handling error from TSU.  

SET FOUR: TEXAS STATE 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 21
Texas State opened up the fourth set strong, reeling off six of the first eight points and taking the four-point lead on a kill from Caylin Mahoney.  

USA fought back and eventually took its first lead of the set (10-9) after four-straight kills from Daniel.  The Jaguar freshman went on to record seven in the frame.

The Jags looked to be in control and led 21-19 following a kill from Mallory Moore, but the Bobcats closed strong picking up the final six points of the set.  Deardorff highlighted the scoring for TSU with a string of three-consecutive kills and Mahoney evened the match and gave Texas State the 25-21 win with an ace.   

SET FIVE: TEXAS STATE 15, SOUTH ALABAMA 8
With USA holding an early one-point advantage in the final set, the Bobcats pushed across four-straight points to take a 6-3 lead.  Deardorff had a pair of aces during the run and Hilbun and Mahoney gave Texas State the three-point lead when they combined to block a Jaguar attack.

South Alabama trimmed the deficit to one (8-7) after a kill from Lewis, but TSU rattled off six-straight points and seven of the final eight to close out the match.  Deardorff clinched the match and the 15-8 win with her 18th kill of the match.  During the final run, USA struggled offensively, recording five of their seven attack errors during the pivotal stretch.  The Jags hit -.065 during the set.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

NOTES:  The meeting between South Alabama and Texas State was the first-ever between the two programs.  The two clubs will see each other in back-to-back matches as the Bobcats will travel to Mobile on Friday, Oct. 25.  With her 19 kills and 17 digs, Mechell Daniel now has five double-doubles on the season, four of which have come against Sun Belt competition.  The 17 digs by Daniel also tied a career-best for the freshman.  Jessica Lewis (19 kills and 15 digs) recorded the first double-double of her career versus Texas State.  The 15 digs were a new career-best for Lewis.  Kelley Little also carded a new career mark with her 17 digs.  

—USA—