Box Score - South Alabama 3, Texas State 2 (.pdf)
MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's volleyball team recorded a season-high 11 service aces Friday night and rallied back to pick up a thrilling 3-2 (26-28, 25-18, 20-25, 25-23, 20-18) Sun Belt Conference victory over Texas State at Jag Gym.
"We've been going through that rut as far as finishing matches," South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said. "I finally just told them that it's not really about anything technically or physically. It's more about them just playing together as a group and a team. I felt like tonight, we finally played together as a team. I didn't feel like we had to win as individuals or just finish by ourselves, it was we can do this together. I applaud my team. We talked about this this week and they were able to get together and figure that stuff out."
Symone Stephenson had a career-best four service aces to go along with her seven kills and .308 hitting percentage. Mechell Daniel also chipped in with three aces of her own and three other Jaguars registered at least on ace in the victory.
"Passing really wasn't stellar for both sides tonight," Hendrichovsky said. "Anytime you can get a service ace, it's one easy point to help the team out. People don't realize it, but passing is a very mental part of the game and the more you can wear down a passer, the more it helps wear down their offense. It was a big part of the game. I wish we would have passed a little bit better, but I'm happy with us pulling it out."
USA (8-12, 3-7 SBC) will now host Louisiana-Lafayette on Sunday with first serve versus the Ragin' Cajuns set for 1 p.m. Live stats and video can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com.
Offensively, South Alabama was led by freshman outside hitter Jessica Lewis who had 18 kills and nine digs. Daniel also had her seventh double-double of the season for USA with 15 kills and a career-best 19 digs. Fellow freshman Mallory Moore had a career night as she posted a .545 hitting percentage with 13 kills on 22 attacks and just one error. Jaguar setter Emily Hunt added 27 assists and 11 digs for her ninth double-double of the season and the 11th of her career.
Along with Hundt and Daniel, Abby Baker and Kelly Little also ended the night with double-digit dig tallies, finishing with 18 and 16 respectively. Amber Wyatt posted nine total blocks – one solo and eight assists – for USA.
"We had so many (contributors). I can't really mention them all right now," Hendrichovsky said. "Mallory (Moore) had a great night and Deanna (Canfield) did as well. I brought her off the bench when we needed her and she came in and didn't put a lot of points on the stat sheet, but was able pass the ball for us and pick up some good defensive balls. Getting digs to kills brings a lot of momentum to the team. I thought she played a crucial role for our team. (Her play) also allowed us to give Jessica (Lewis) a chance to rest and catch her breath, because she was taking quite a few swings. I thought our play all the way around was good. I'm really proud of them."
Blocking also played a pivotal role in the Jaguar victory as USA registered one solo block and 16 block assists compared to just two solo blocks and six block assists for Texas State.
The Bobcats dropped to 15-10 overall and 5-5 in the conference with the loss. Amari Deardorff led TSU with 17 kills and hit .326 in the match. Alexandra Smith (15) and Ashlee Hilbun (10) also ended the match in double digits, while Molly Ahrens just missed with nine kills. Simms had a .448 hitting percentage for Texas State.
Sierra Smith led all players with 26 digs for the Bobcats.
SET ONE: TEXAS STATE 28, SOUTH ALABAMA 26
South Alabama jumped out to the early lead in the first set as the Jaguars began the match by taking nine of the first 11 points. After a kill from Kiki von Piekartz, Daniel – playing front of her family from England for the first time – dropped in three-straight aces.
The Bobcats began to claw their way back and eventually grabbed their first lead of the match at 14-13 on a kill from Deardorff. Deardorff recorded six kills during the first set.
Tied at 16, the Jaguars pushed across four-straight points to force a TSU time out and take a 20-16 lead. Two points later though, Texas State again began to fight back and tied the set back up at 23-23 after a bad set from USA.
In extra points, the Bobcats were able to gain the final two points and take the set 28-26 after a Jaguar serving error and an ace from Shelby Vas Matt.
Lewis had four kills for South Alabama in the opening set, while Daniel added three kills and three service aces.
SET TWO: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, TEXAS STATE 18
The Jaguars got off to another quick start in the second set and led 8-4 after an ace from Little. Like the first set though, Texas State battled back and tied the frame back up 10-10 following an attack error by USA.
However, South Alabama regained the momentum on the next point though as the Bobcats served the ball into the net, beginning a run of five unanswered points. Mallory Moore and Amber Wyatt also teamed up for a pair of blocks during the scoring spurt. USA later sealed the match with another run of points. With the Jags leading 19-15, Lewis ignited another 5-0 run with a kill. Stephenson then followed with four consecutive aces to give South Alabama a 24-15 advantage.
Four points later, the Jags evened the match at one set apiece with the 25-18 win.
SET THREE: TEXAS STATE 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 20
Texas State grabbed three of the first four points in the third set, but USA rallied back and knotted things up at 7-7 after another kill from Lewis. The Jaguars later took a two-point advantage (13-11) on a kill from Daniel. Daniel and Lewis each had four kills apiece in the frame for the Jags.
With USA holding a one-point lead at 15-14, the Bobcats pushed across five-straight points to retake the lead. Hilbun had a pair of kills to spark the scoring and Caylin Mahoney dumped in a kill of her own to give TSU the 19-15 lead.
The Jaguars again rallied back to tie the set up at 20-20 when Lewis blasted a kill from beyond the 10-foot line, but the Bobcats took advantage of some South Alabama miscues as they closed out the set by capturing the final five points to take the set 25-20.
SET FOUR: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, TEXAS STATE 23
In the fourth set, Texas State was the first to gain any breathing room as Simms posted four-straight kills for the Bobcats to give the visitors the lead. Simms – who had eight kills in the frame – recorded five-straight points for TSU during one stretch. South Alabama rallied back and retook the lead at 11-10 after two-straight kills from Moore.
The Jags later extended their advantage out to 18-14 after a kill from Lewis and a Texas State attack error, but the Bobcats would continue to battle and get as close as one (19-18) after an attack error from USA. South Alabama answered with three more points to stretch its lead out to 22-18 after an ace from Hundt, but once again TSU fought back, again pulling within one at 24-23 on a kill from Deardorff. However, USA would not be denied as the Jaguars forced the fifth set with a 25-23 win on a kill from Daniel.
SET FIVE: SOUTH ALABAMA 20, TEXAS STATE 18
South Alabama jumped out to the early lead in the fifth and final set, reeling off four of the first five points. Texas State chipped away at the deficit and tied the contest back up at 7-7 after back-to-back kills from Vas Matt and Simms.
USA later led by one (9-8) following a Bobcat serving error, but on the next point the Jags returned the favor with one of their own. South Alabama then had a bad set and Ahrens recorded a kill to give TSU the 12-10 lead.
The Bobcats later set one-point away from taking the set and the match at 14-11 following an ace from Sierra Smith, but South Alabama fought off three-straight match-points and tied the contest up at 14-14 on a block assists from Wyatt and Lewis. After trading points, USA sat one (16-15) point away from taking the match after back-to-back kills from Lewis, but Deardorff posted her 17th kill of the night to even things back up.
Tied at 18-all, South Alabama registered the final two points of the match as Daniel and von Piekartz dropped in a pair of kills to give USA the 20-18 victory.
The Jaguars saved their best hitting performance of the night for the fifth set as they recorded 13 kills on 26 attacks and just three errors for a .423 percentage.
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: With the win, South Alabama now evens the all-time series with Texas State at 1-1. Both matches have gone five-sets. The 11 service aces by the Jaguars were a new season-high for the team, besting the previous high of nine set against Tennessee State in the season opener. Symone Stephenson set a new career-high with four aces of her own. The double-double by Mechell Daniel (15 kills and 19 digs) was her seventh of the season. The 19 digs were a new career-high for the freshman. Emily Hundt had her ninth double-double of the season and the 11th of her career. The .545 hitting percentage by USA's Mallory Moore versus Texas State was a new season-high for the freshman. Sophomore defensive specialist Caitlyn Cox and senior middle blocker Veronica Cherizol have both left the team due to personal reasons.
—USA—
