Box Score - Lipscomb 3, South Alabama 0 (.pdf)

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's volleyball team fell 3-0 (13-25, 18-25, 19-25) Saturday to Lipscomb at the Lipscomb Invitational held at Allen Arena.

"We played three solid teams this weekend and we learned what we need to do to get better," South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovskty said.  "The purpose of this tournament was to challenge us and push us as we head into next weekend.  We're going to work real hard this week in practice and do what we need to do to get better."

USA (2-4) will continue on the road when the Jaguars compete at the Hampton Inn Bama Bash hosted by Alabama next weekend.  South Alabama will open up tournament play on Friday versus Tennessee-Martin.

Lipscomb (4-2) placed three players in double figures in the straight-set win.  Jewell Dobson led the way with 14 kills and hit .571.  Molly Spitznagle was close behind her with 12 and a match-best .688 hitting percentage.  Spitznagle also had two solo blocks and three block assists for the Lady Bisons.  Lauren Ford was the third player for LU to register double digits offensively, ending the match with 10 and a .360 percentage.

As a team, Lipscomb recorded 48 kills and finished with a .347 attack percentage, while USA had 27 kills and a .130 hitting percentage.  LU also held a 42-30 advantage in the dig category.  

The Jaguars were paced by Symone Stephenson's seven kills and .353 attack percentage.  The freshman middle blocker was selected to the all-tournament team for her performance over the weekend.  Stephenson registered 17 kills and had nine block assists for South Alabama during the tournament.  The all-tournament honor is her second of the season.

Deanna Canfield and Mallory Moore also chipped in with five kills.  Mechell Daniel posted two serice aces and a career-high 12 digs in the loss.

SET ONE: LIPSOCMB 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 13
With the opening set tied 9-9 after back-to-back kills from Deanna Canfield, the host Lady Bisons took the lead for good and broke the set open with an 11-2 run.  Lipscomb began the run with six-straight points, two coming on kills by Spitznagle who had four kills in the frame.  Dobson later capped off the run and put LU up 20-11 after a kill of her own.  Dobson had six kills on 12 attacks during the first set to lead all players.

Lipscomb went on to take the early lead in the match as they closed out the set with five unanswered points – three more coming on kills by Dobson, including the set clincher – to give the Lady Bisons the 25-13 win.

LU out hit USA in the opening set, .273 to .067.

SET TWO: LIPSCOMB 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 18
South Alabama held a one-point advantage (5-4) in the second set after a Lipscomb serving error, but the Lady Bisons once again used a big run to grab the lead for good.  LU's Sophie Kellerman began the 8-1 run – which began with six-straight points – with a kill and Dobson added a pair of kills and a solo block.  Lauren Ford put Lipscomb up 12-6 with her second kill of the frame.

Spitznagle and Ford later teamed up to turn back a Jaguar attack and give LU a seven-point lead at 16-7, it's largest of the frame.

Lipscomb was very efficient in the second stanza as it posted 18 kills on 34 attacks, while committing just five attack errors for a .382 attack percentage.  

SET THREE: LIPSCOMB 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 19
Tied at 6-6 in the third and final set, Lipscomb once again ran off points to take the lead and pull away from the Jags.  The Lady Bisons used a balanced attack to reel off 11 of the next 15 points to take a 17-10 advantage.  Ford had three kills for Lipscomb during the run, while Dobson and Spitznagle had a pair.  Spitznagle also combined with Claire Peterson for a block assists which gave LU the seven-point lead.  

Stephenson slammed home back-to-back kills – two of her five in the set – three-points later to narrow the deficit to four (17-13), but that was as close as the Jags would get as Lipscomb went on to take the match and the set with the 25-19 victory.

For the second-straight set, the Lady Bisons hit .382 (16 kills, three errors, 34 attacks), while USA hit .147.

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 loss to Lipscomb, South Alabama drops to 0-2 in the all-time series and 22-29-1 all-time versus the Atlantic Sun Conference.  The loss is also the fourth-straight for the Jaguars this season.  Over that stretch, USA has been swept twice.  The 12 digs by USA's Mechell Daniel versus Lipscomb were a new career best for the freshman.  Fellow freshman middle blocker Symone Stephenson was selected to the all-tournament squad after recording 17 kills and nine block assists.  The all-tournament honor is the second of the season for Stephenson as she was also named to the Jaguar Invitational all-tournament squad.

—USA—