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

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's volleyball team battled throughout the match on Saturday, but fell 3-1 (20-25, 25-23, 23-25, 15-25) to Alabama on the final day of the Hampton Inn Bama Bash at Foster Auditorium.

"I thought our players came out focused today and, like yesterday, worked pretty hard," South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky.  "In set three, we had a chance to turn the match and take control heading into set four.  We just weren't able to sustain the momentum and put together points late.  Alabama is a very good team."

"Moving forward, we learned a few things this weekend about ourselves and will work on those things this week, starting against Jackson State on Tuesday night."

USA (4-5) will continue on the road with a midweek contest at Jackson State on Tuesday night.  First serve versus the Tigers is set for 7 p.m. at T.B. Ellis Gymnasium.

For the third-straight match, Mechell Daniel led the way offensively for South Alabama with 17 kills and nine digs.  For her play, Daniel was selected to the all-tournament squad.  Nikki Gittens also recorded double-figures for USA with 10 kills.  Symone Stephenson nearly eclipsed the double-figure kill mark as she chipped in with eight kills.  The freshman middle blocker had a .389 hitting percentage and also had four block assists.

Alabama (7-2) was paced by Krystal Rivers' match-high 18 kills and .483 hitting percentage.  Laura Steiner had 15 kills for the Crimson Tide, while Brittany Thomas and Katherine White each chipped in with nine kills apiece.  White also posted a .438 hitting percentage for UA.

SET ONE: ALABAMA 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 20
The opening set was tight throughout the first half of the frame with neither team able to garner more than a two-point advantage on the other.   However, with South Alabama holding a 15-14 lead after a kill from Stephenson, the Crimson Tide used a 6-1 run over the next seven points to take the lead for good.

Bama's first three points of the scoring spurt came courtesy of three-straight Jaguar errors – a serving and two attacks.  Steiner and Katherine White capped off the run and put the Tide out in front 19-15 with back-to-back kills.

Thomas later sealed the win for the tournament host as she registered her third kill of the set.  Steiner paced the club with four first-set kills, while Mattie Weldy and White also had three each.  USA's Daniel and Gittens had for apiece for the Jaguars.

SET TWO: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, ALABAMA 23
After trailing by three early on in the second set, South Alabama battled back and took a 7-5 lead following a block assists from Mallory Moore and Stephenson.  USA later took advantage of three consecutive Alabama attack errors as Bama would commit five over a six point stretch, including a string of three-straight to give the Jags a 12-9 advantage.

Later in the set, Alabama reclaimed the lead (16-15) on a kill from Rivers, but the lead was short-lived as USA reeled off five unanswered points and grabbed a 20-16 lead when Stephenson and Daniel teamed up to turn back another Tide attack.

Led by Rivers, Alabama again fought back and tied the contest back up at 21-21 on a kill from the red shirt freshman middle blocker.  Rivers posted three of her six kills in the frame during the 5-1 Bama run.  

The Jaguars though were able to close out the set and even the match at one set apiece as Gittens found the bottom of the court for a kill of her own to give USA the 25-23 second-set victory.

The big stat of the set was at the net where the Jags posted eight block assists, four of which coming from Stephenson.

SET THREE: ALABAMA 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 23
Daniel sparked the Jaguars out of the gate in the third set as the freshman posted a pair of kills and a block assists to give USA the early advantage.  South Alabama led by as much as three during the first half of the set, but the Crimson Tide rallied back and grabbed a 14-13 lead after a kill from Steiner and a solo block by White.  

The Jaguars answered back quickly and rattled off five-straight points to retake the lead.  Gittens sparked the scoring for USA with three kills over the Jaguar run.  

Coming out of a time out, Alabama regained the momentum and retook the lead (22-21) after back-to-back kills by Rivers.  Rivers was outstanding in the set as she recorded eight kills.  South Alabama attempted to come back and again trailed by one (24-23) after a Crimson Tide serving error, but White clinched the set on the next point with a kill.

Both clubs hit the ball well during the set as Alabama posted a .368 hitting percentage (18-4-38), slightly better than the Jaguars .344 percentage (15-4-32).

SET FOUR: ALABAMA 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 15
USA held a one-point lead (5-4) after an Alabama attack error, but the Crimson Tide took control from that point as they pushed across five unanswered points to take the lead for good.  Andrea McQuaid highlighted the scoring spurt for UA with a pair of aces.  Thomas put the Tide up 10-6 with a kill of her own.

Four points later, Alabama broke the set open with a 7-1 run and extended its lead out to 17-8 after a kill from McQuaid.  McQuaid- who had not recorded a kill in the match to that point – posted all four of her kills in the set, to go along with the two service aces.  

Alabama went on to take the set and the match with the 25-15 win in the fourth set.  

The Tide posted its best offensive showing in the final set of the day, recording 16 kills on 24 attacks and committing just three errors for a .542 hitting percentage.  Alabama also posted five service aces in the frame.
 
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).

Hampton Inn Bama Bash All-Tournament Team
Krystal Rivers (MVP) – Alabama
Katherine White – Alabama
Kryssi Daniels – Alabama
Sadie Clark – Arkansas State
Jackie Gerig – Arkansas State
Mechell Daniel – South Alabama
Kayla Burling – Nicholls State

NOTES:  With the loss, South Alabama falls to 4-23 in the all-time series versus Alabama and 29-74 versus opponents from the Southeastern Conference.  The Jags will face Arkansas on Sept. 21 at the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark.  For her play at the Hampton Inn Bama Bash, Mechell Daniel was named to the all-tournament team.

—USA—