Box Score - Western Kentucky 3, South Alabama 2 (.pdf)
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – University of South Alabama freshman outside hitter Jessica Lewis posted a career-high 20 kills and had 10 digs for her second-career double-double as the Jaguars nearly upset Western Kentucky – the Sun Belt's regular-season champion – as USA fell 3-2 (26-24, 13-25, 25-20, 22-25, 12-15) at E.A. Diddle Arena.
The five-setter snapped a string of nine-consecutive straight-set match wins for the Toppers. USA is just the second Sun Belt team to push WKU to five sets this season, the last being Louisiana-Lafayette. It was also the first time in 38 matches at E.A. Diddle in which the Toppers have had to go to five sets versus an opponent and the first time in 24 home matches versus a Sun Belt foe. The last time an opponent went five sets against WKU on its home court was Sept. 23, 2011 versus Arkansas-Little Rock.
"I thought our team played with a lot of guts and played with a lot of heart tonight," South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky. "They nearly took a match from the top team in our conference and the 35th-ranked team in the country on their home floor. I think anytime we can compete at that level, then that's where we want to be. It makes us hungry and wanting to get to that level."
Lewis also registered five of the Jags' nine service aces, setting a new career-high in that category for the Huntsville, Ala., native.
USA (13-14, 8-9 SBC) will now close out the regular season when it faces Georgia State on Sunday at 11 a.m. (CT) at the GSU Sports Arena. Live stats and video for the match versus the Panthers will be available at www.USAJaguars.com.
Along with Lewis, Mechell Daniel and Mallory Moore each recorded double-figure kill tallies as they finished with 14 and 11 kills, respectively. Daniel also registered 11 digs to give her her 13th double-double of the season and her 12th versus league competition.
Jaguar setter Emily Hundt also notched her 10th double-double of the season with 34 assists and 11 digs. Freshman libero Abby Baker had a team-high 15 digs.
Western Kentucky, which improved to 26-5 overall and 16-1 in the SBC, placed three players in double figures led by Paige Wessel's 17 kills. Wessel hit .519 in the match and recorded three blocks – one solo and two assists. Noelle Langenkamp also hit .519 for the Toppers and had 16 kills and seven total blocks – one solo and six assists. Haley Bodway added 15 kills of her own.
All-conference setter Melanie Stutsman posted 54 assists and 13 digs, while Topper libero Ashley Potts recorded a match-high 33 digs.
SET ONE: South Alabama 26, Western Kentucky 24
South Alabama began the match by taking the first two points on an ace by Lewis and a kill by Moore. The Toppers eventually came back and took a three-point lead at 12-9 after a kill by Rachel Engle. USA gain narrowed the deficit to one two points later after a kill and a solo block by Daniel, but WKU regained control and stretched its lead out to 17-12 after a Jaguar attack error.
Trailing 23-20 in the set, Symone Stephenson and Daniel got the Jaguar offense in gear as the duo slammed home back-to-back kills. With the opening set tied at 24-24, Daniel and Lewis captured the win for USA as they recorded their fourth and third kills of the set, respectively. Stephenson also had three kills in the set for the Jaguars.
The first-set win was the first set South Alabama has taken off WKU in the series since the 1999 season, snapping a string of 62-straight sets won by the Toppers against the Jags.
SET TWO: Western Kentucky 25, South Alabama 13
After dropping its first set to South Alabama in 14 years, Western Kentucky took control of the second set early. Kelly Little tied things up at 4-4 with a service ace, but Wessel ignited a 9-0 run for the Toppers with a kill. She also capped off the WKU run with another kill, while Bodway also chipped in with three kills during the scoring run. Both Wessel and Bodway finished the set with four kills apiece.
From there, USA was only able to get as close as eight (18-10), before eventually falling 25-13. In the second set, Western Kentucky was extremely efficient, posting a .483(15-1-29) hitting percentage.
Lewis had four kills for South Alabama in the set, while Daniel added three more to her total.
SET THREE: South Alabama 25, Western Kentucky 20
Led by Wessel, WKU got off to another quick start as it rattled off seven of the first 10 points in the third set. Wessel had three kills and an ace during the early Topper scoring spurt.
Led by Lewis though, the Jaguars battled their way back. Trailing by five (11-6), Lewis ignited a 7-2 South Alabama run with a kill. Lewis had three kills during the run and capped things off with three-straight service aces, which tied the set up at 13-13.
Tied at 18-18 later in the set, USA took control for good and ended the frame with another 7-2 run. Daniel – who had all four of her kills in the third set over the Jaguars' final eight points – began the run with back-to-back kills. She then sealed the 25-20 win for South Alabama with another putaway.
Lewis posted six kills in the set to lead the Jags.
"Jessica was a big reason why we were able to take set three," Hendrichovsky noted. "She was able to get some points for us offensively and then also from behind the service line where she dropped in three-in-a-row. She's a mentally tough kid and as a coach, I feel very comfortable when the ball is in her hands."
SET FOUR: WESTERN KENTUCKY 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 22
In the fourth set, Western Kentucky jumped out to an 8-3 lead with Wessel adding four kills and a solo block during the early run.
WKU took its largest lead of the set at 17-6 after an ace by Georgia O'Connell, but South Alabama began to fight its way back. USA began the rally with six unanswered points, three coming from Lewis – two kills and a solo block. With the Toppers holding a 20-14 lead, the Jaguars answered back by pushing across eight of the next 10 points to take a 22-21 lead. Baker gave USA the one-point advantage when she dropped in the Jaguars' ninth ace of the evening.
Coming out of a time out though, Western Kentucky regained control and closed the set with four-straight points to event the match at two sets apiece. Langenkamp tied the set up at 22-22 with her fifth kill of the frame. Boyan then posted a pair of block assists and Langenkamp sealed the 25-22 win with an ace.
SET FIVE: WESTERN KENTUCKY 15, SOUTH ALABAMA 12
Western Kentucky opened up the fifth and final set on an 8-3 run and took the five-point lead on a kill from Langenkamp. Langenkamp had three kills during the run.
USA narrowed the deficit to 8-5 on a kill by Moore, but WKU extended the lead back out and set at match point (14-9) after a kill by Janee' Diggins.
The Jaguars refused to quit and fought off three-straight match points on kills by Daniel, Moore and Lewis, but WKU took the set and the match (15-12) on Langenkamp's fourth kill of the frame and 16th of the night.
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 first-set win was the first set South Alabama has taken off WKU in the series since the 1999 season, snapping a string of 62-straight sets won by the Toppers against the Jags. The match also marked the first time in 14 years that USA has taken two sets off of the Toppers in a match. The five-set match also snapped a string of 14-straight straight-set wins in Bowling Green by Western Kentucky versus the Jaguars. The five-setter snapped a string of nine-consecutive straight-set match wins for the Toppers. USA is just the second Sun Belt team to push WKU to five sets this season, the last being Louisiana-Lafayette. It was also the first time in 38 matches at E.A. Diddle in which the Toppers have had to go to five sets versus an opponent and the first time in 24 home matches versus a Sun Belt foe. The last time an opponent went five sets against WKU on its home court was Sept. 23, 2011 versus Arkansas-Little Rock. With her 20 kills and 10 digs versus Western Kentucky, freshman outside hitter Jessica Lewis recorded her second career double-double. The 20 kills were also a new career-best for Lewis, as well as the five service aces. With her 14 kills and 11 digs, fellow freshman Mechell Daniel now has 13 double-doubles this season, 12 of which have come against Sun Belt competition. Daniel now has 393 kills this season, the ninth-most in a single season in program history, passing Patricia Ingram (392) set in 1983 and Keturah Carter (390) set in 1987. They are the most since Beverly Ferren's mark of 403 set back during the 1995 season. The 393 kill by Daniel are also the most ever by a freshman in South Alabama history. Jaguar setter Emily Hundt posted her 34 assists and 11 digs to give her her 10th double-double of the season.
—USA—
