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Box Score - South Alabama 3, Louisiana-Lafayette 1 (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's volleyball team completed the season sweep of Louisiana-Lafayette with a 3-1 (25-21, 25-22, 25-27, 26-24) victory over the Ragin' Cajuns Sunday afternoon at Jag Gym.  

"I think overall, it was a good team performance," South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said.  "We were more balanced and we had good contributions from everyone.  We maintained a business-like mentality and took care of business."

USA (9-12, 4-7 SBC) will now carry some momentum as the Jaguars ride a two-match winning streak heading into Friday's match versus Arkansas State at 7 p.m.  South Alabama will also travel to Arkansas-Little Rock on Sunday (Nov. 3) for a 1 p.m. contest.

"We're now in round two of the conference schedule," Hendrichovsky said.  "We had talked about starting fresh in the second half of the conference schedule and we're now 2-0 in round two, so our team knows what we've been talking to them about in the locker room and will hopefully maintain this focus and momentum.  The big thing for us is we are starting to play as a team and it's those little details – the trust and the belief – that have helped us this weekend."

For the fourth-straight match, freshman outside hitter Jessica Lewis led the Jaguars in kills with 17.  Mechell Daniel was close behind her as she posted her eighth-double double of the season and seventh in conference play with 15 kills and 15 digs.  Mallory Moore was also solid for USA in the four-set win as she had 11 kills and hit .333.

Symone Stephenson nearly eclipsed the double-figure kill mark as she had nine to go along with her team-high three block assists.  Abby Baker led the team in digs with 20 as she posted her fourth 20-dig match of the season.

As a team, South Alabama posted a .248 hitting percentage (59-20-157), matching its highest attack percentage since its SBC opener versus Arkansas-Little Rock.  

Louisiana-Lafayette (15-10, 5-6 SBC) placed three players in double figures led by Sara Mossakowski's 17 kills.  Lavinia Tataran chipped in with 14 of her own, while Tonice White ended the match with 11.  Tataran and Mossakowski each posted a double-double of their own as they ended with 11 and 10 digs, respectively.  

Ragin' Cajun libero Caitlyn Auxilien led all players with 23 digs.

SET ONE: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE 21
South Alabama broke an early 4-all tie as the Jaguars rattled off four-straight points after kills from Stephenson, Lewis and Kiki von Piekartz.  USA later extended its advantage to six (17-11) after an ace from Kelley Little.  

The Ragin' Cajuns came right back and twice pulled within two, the last coming at 20-18 after a White put away, but on each occasion, ULL served the ball into the net ending the rally.  Louisiana-Lafayette, who entered the weekend as one of top serving clubs in the Sun Belt, recorded six serving errors in the set.

The Jaguars held on to take the early lead in the match with the 25-21 opening-set victory.  Lewis had five kills in the set and Daniel had four for South Alabama.

Both clubs hit the ball well in the first set as USA had 14 kills on 29 attacks and two errors for a .414 hitting percentage, while ULL hit .323 (13-3-31).

SET TWO: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE 22
After trailing by as much as three early, the Jaguars fought back and took an 11-7 lead on a block assists from Amber Wyatt and Moore.  Lewis also had four of her five kills during the first half of the set for USA.

The Ragin' Cajuns kept hanging around and with USA holding a 16-13 lead, Louisiana-Lafayette pushed across five of the next six points to grab its first lead of the set.  Mossakowski, who had six kills for ULL in the set, began the run with a kill and the Cajuns went up 18-17 in the set after back-to-back attack errors from South Alabama.

The lead was short-lived for the visitors though as USA retook the lead for good three points later on another ULL serving error.  South Alabama went on to take a 2-0 lead in the match as they picked up the 25-22 victory in the set.  For the second-straight set, the Cajuns served into the net to end the set.

SET THREE: LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE 27, SOUTH ALABAMA 25
In the third set, South Alabama trailed 10-8, but Moore ignited a run of four-straight points for the Jaguars with her second and third kill of the set.  USA picked up the next two points after the back-to-back kills from Moore to take a 12-10 lead.  

The Ragin' Cajuns fought back and regained the lead at 19-16 following a kill from Mossakowski, but USA would answerback against and tied the set back up at 22-22 following Moore's fifth kill of the frame and Baker's second service ace.  South Alabama twice sat one point away from closing out the set and the match, the last coming at 25-24 on a kill from Stephenson, but ULL picked up the final three points of the frame to capture the 27-25 victory.  Tataran began the mini-run with a kill and after a Jaguar attack error, Louisiana-Lafayette setter Andrea Hole dumped in a kill of her own to clinch the win.  Hole ended the night with two kills, 47 assists and 14 digs.

SET FOUR: SOUTH ALABAMA 26, LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE 24
Leading by one (7-6) in the fourth set, South Alabama began to pull away as the Jaguars rattled off seven of the next nine points to extend their lead out to 14-8.  Amber Wyatt had a kill and a solo block during the run for USA.

Trailing by six though, ULL once again battled back and trimmed the deficit to 16-13 after another kill from Mossakowski.  White sparked the scoring spurt for the Ragin' Cajuns with two kills and a block assist.  

South Alabama later led 23-20 after a serving error from ULL, but on the ensuing point Tataran slammed home her 14th kill of the afternoon.  Mossakowski followed with another kill and Louisiana-Lafayette tied the set back up at 23-23 after a Jaguar attack error.  

With the set tied at 24-all, Lewis clinched the match as the freshman blasted back-to-back kills to give USA the26-24 victory.

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 has now won five of the last six meetings in the series.  USA is also now 9-10 all-time versus the Cajuns in Mobile and has won four-straight in the series in Jag Gym.  With her 15 kills and 15 digs, South Alabama's Mechell Daniel now has eight double-doubles this season, seven of which have come against Sun Belt competition.  The 20-dig effort by Abby Baker marked the fourth the season for the freshman libero.

—USA—