Box Score - South Alabama 3, Texas-Arlington 1 (.pdf)
MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's volleyball team picked up the first two sets and then rallied back late in the fourth to pick up a 3-1 (25-17, 25-20, 18-25, 28-26) Sun Belt Conference victory Friday afternoon over the Mavericks at Jag Gym.
"In the first and second set, we came out focused and executed pretty well," South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said. "I thought in the third and fourth set, that (Charmaine) Whitmore for UTA really made herself known on our side. She did a really nice job for them, but our team was able to stay composed. She's a force at the net, but thankfully we came out with the win."
With the win, South Alabama improved to 12-13 on the season and 7-8 in the conference. The win is also fifth for the Jaguars in their last six matches and seventh in the program's last 10.
USA will now face Louisiana-Monroe on Sunday in the Jaguars' home finale on Sunday. First serve versus the Warhawks is set for 1 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at www.USAJaguars.com.
With the win, South Alabama also avenges its straight-set defeat to the Mavericks in Arlington earlier this season.
"For some reason when we played UTA earlier this season, we didn't bring the same team that we have most of the year," Hendrichovsky said. "A lot of it was just us. We didn't really come to play that night, but I thought Texas-Arlington played well in the match. Coming into the match, we talked about how we needed to show ourselves to UTA and show them what we are really about because we didn't really challenge them at all (in the first meeting). I think the whole match was about serve and pass and which team was able to stay in system allowing them to run their offense long enough. In the fourth set tonight, thankfully it was us."
Jessica Lewis led all players with 17 kills and nearly recorded her second double-double as she ended the match with nine digs. The Huntsville, Ala., native also hit .400 (17-3-35) in the match. Fellow freshman Mechell Daniel carded her 11th double-double of the season with 16 kills and 10 digs. Daniel now has 10 double-doubles in Sun Belt play. Opposite side hitter Mallory Moore chipped in with 14 kills of her own.
Freshman libero Abby Baker led all players with 21 digs, which were two shy of tying a career high. Kelly Little was outstanding behind the service line as she dropped in a new career-best five aces. As a team, South Alabama held a 9-5 advantage in that category.
The loss was the fourth-straight for Texas-Arlington (15-13, 8-7 SBC). The Mavericks had four players – Taylor Gross, Shelby Kickson, Charmaine Whitmore and Stacey Koch – finish the match with nine kills apiece.
Whitmore – who entered the match ranked second in the nation in blocks – was outstanding at the net as she ended the match with 14 total blocks – three solo and 11 assists. As a team, UTA finished with five solo blocks and 28 block assists and a 19.0 – 7.0 advantage.
SET ONE: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, TEXAS-ARLINGTON 17
South Alabama got out of the game quick in the opening set, picking up seven of the first 10 points of the match. Daniel had a pair of kills during the early Jaguar run and Little capped things off and gave USA the four-point advantage with back-to-back aces.
Later in the set with USA leading by five (11-6), the Jaguars used a 6-1 run to grab their first double-digit lead of the night at 17-7. Lewis, who had seven kills on all seven of her attacks in the first frame, put South Alabama up 10 with a put away.
From there, the Jaguars held control for the remainder of the set and took the early lead in the match with the 25-17 first-set victory.
SET TWO: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, TEXAS-ARLINGTON 20
USA got off to another quick start in the next set, opening the second frame on a 9-3 run. Daniel posted two of her five kills in the set during the Jaguars' first nine points. Little also added two more aces during the scoring spurt.
The Mavericks kept battling and pulled within four (11-7) following an attack error by South Alabama. UTA then kept chipping away at the deficit and cut USA's lead to 19-17 after another Jag miscue. However on the ensuing point, Moore slammed home one of her five kills in the frame to end the threat and ignite a 7-3 run for USA to close the set. Moore was solid in the second set, posting a .714 hitting percentage with five kills on seven attacks and no errors. Daniel later sealed the 25-20 win for the Jaguars with another kill.
SET THREE: TEXAS-ARLINGTON 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 18
In the third set, UTA held the early advantage at 7-4 on a Jag serving error, but South Alabama pushed across four of the next five points to tie the set back up at 8-8 following a kill from Lewis.
The Mavericks though answered right back with a run of six unanswered points of their own to take a six-point lead (14-8) on a kill from Koch. Dickson began the run for UTA with a kill of her own and then USA followed with four consecutive attack errors, two coming on blocks by Whitmore.
UTA held on to take the set, 25-18, and trim the Jaguars' lead in the match to 2-1.
USA struggled offensively in the third set as it recorded its lowest hitting percentage of the match with a .059 (9-7-34). Texas-Arlington hit nearly .300 in the frame as it finished with a .294 (15-5-34).
SET FOUR: SOUTH ALABAMA 28, TEXAS-ARLIGTON 26
Leading by two (7-5) early in the fourth and final set, South Alabama strung together seven of the next 10 points to extend its lead out to 14-8.
USA later looked to be in control as it held a 16-9 advantage following a kill from Jag setter Emily Hundt, but on the next point, UTA's Karli Nanny sparked a 7-0 run for the Mavericks to tie the set at 16-16. Nanny added two more kills during the run.
Texas-Arlington kept riding the momentum and took its first lead of the set at 19-18 after a South Alabama attack error. UTA later sat one point away from sending the match into a fifth set as the Mavericks led 24-22 after a USA attack error. South Alabama fought off a pair of set-points though – a kill by Moore and a UTA attack error – to send the set into extra points.
In extra points, Lewis broke a 26-26 tie with her 17th kill of the match and the Jaguars then clinched the match victory, 28-26, on a UTA attack error.
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 moves to 1-2 in the all-time series. Friday's match was the first held in Mobile in the series. USA has now won five of its last six matches and seven of its last 10 since beginning conference play 0-5. With her 16 kills and 10 digs, South Alabama's Mechell Daniel now has a team-best 11 double-doubles the season. Of her 11 double-doubles, 10 have come in Sun Belt play. The five service aces by Kelly Little was a new career-best for the sophomore.
—USA—
