Box Score - Georgia Southern 3, South Alabama 1 (.pdf)MOBILE, Ala. – Georgia Southern recorded 23 blocks – one solo and 22 assists – to hand the University of South Alabama volleyball team a 3-1 (25-15, 19-25, 23-25, 23-25) Sun Belt Conference loss on Saturday night at Jag Gym.
South Alabama (9-10, 4-5 SBC) will next host Arkansas-Little Rock on Sunday, Oct. 19. First serve versus the Trojans is set for noon at Jag Gym.
Mechell Daniel led the Jaguars with 14 kills and also recorded eight digs in the loss, while Jessica Lewis also finished the match in double digits with 11 kills of her own. Mallory Moore and Nikki Gittens each chipped in with seven kills apiece.
Kelly Little came off the bench to pace the club with 10 digs. USA did record seven aces on the night, led by Jenna Hassell's three.
Georgia Southern (3-15, 3-6 SBC) had three players end the match with five blocks or more. Leah Joseph paced the club in that category with six block assists. Kym Coley and Jamie DeRatt each had five total blocks in the match. Coley had five block assists, while DeRatt added a solo block and four block assists.
DeRatt also had 14 kills to lead the Eagles offensively. Cathrine Murray was right behind her with 13 kills of her own and Megan Chevalier chipped in with 12 kills of her own.
GSU setter Kat Minnerly recorded a double-double with 40 assists and 11 digs.
SET ONE: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 15After exchanging the first four points of the match, South Alabama took the lead for good on the next point. The Jags held control for the remainder of the set and stretched their lead out to six (14-8) after a kill and a block by Gittens. GSU came back with the next two points, but Gittens again sparked the Jaguars with a solo block and another kill. She had three kills and three blocks in the opening set.
The two points by Gittens ignited South Alabama and the home team quickly extended its lead out to double digits. The Jaguars reeled off 10 of the next 13 points to take a 24-13 lead. Lewis registered three of her five first-set kills during the run and Hassell capped things off with a pair of aces.
Symone Stephenson later sealed the 25-15 win with kill of her own.
South Alabama came out on fire offensively in the first set, posting a .417 hitting percentage compare to just a .038 by the Eagles.
SET TWO: GEORGIA SOUTHERN 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 19Riding the momentum of taking the opening set, USA began the second frame by taking the first four points. However, Georgia Southern battled back and tied the contest back up at 7-7 after a block by DeRatt and Joseph. South Alabama would get the ensuing point, but the Eagles answered right back and grabbed the lead as they responded with a 6-0 run and took a 13-8 lead after an ace from Minnerly.
Georgia Southern later extended its lead out to 10 (23-13) after a solo block by DeRatt.
USA made a late rally attempt, trimming the deficit to 24-19 following a kill by Lewis, but the Eagles evened the match on the next point as Joseph and Minnerly teamed up to turn back a Jaguar attack and give GSU the 25-19 win.
After committing eight attack errors in the first set, Georgia Southern was perfect in its attack in the second, posting a .533 hitting percentage. USA struggled against the Eagles' frontline in the second set. GSU had 13 total blocks in the frame and held the Jags to a .088 hitting percentage.
SET THREE: GEORGIA SOUTHERN 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 23The Eagles led 11-7 early on in the third set, but over the next several points South Alabama began to chip away at the deficit and following three consecutive attack errors by Georgia Southern, the Jaguars retook the lead at 16-15.
GSU again led by two on two occasions, but the Jags once again took advantage of Eagle miscues – one ball-handling error and a pair of attack errors – to go back out in front 21-20.
Georgia Southern answered right back with three-straight points of its own to reclaim the lead, but USA tied the contest back up at 23-23 after a kill by Daniel and an ace by Baker.
Coming out of a time out though, Georgia Southern was able to pick up the final two points of the set and take the 25-23 win. Murray slammed home a kill and GSU then took the set on a Jaguar attack error.
DeRatt had six kills and an ace for the Eagles in the third set.
SET FOUR: GEORGIA SOUTHERN 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 23Tied at 5-5 early on in the fourth set, South Alabama pushed across 10 of the next 12 points to take a 15-7 lead. During the Jaguar run, the Eagles committed five of their six attack errors in the frame. Mallory Moore also added a pair of kills for USA during that stretch.
Trailing by eight, GSU responded right back and used a 9-3 run to trim the deficit to two (18-16). Murray recorded a pair of kills early on during the run and the Eagle frontline then blocked a Jag attack to cap off the scoring.
The Eagles kept chipping away at the deficit and tied the contest back up, 21-21, after a put away by Chevalier – one of her four in the frame.
Sarah Richardson and Daniel – who had five kills of her own in the set – then slammed home back-to-back kills to give USA the 23-21 advantage, but Georgia Southern closed strong and picked up the final four points of the match to take the set 25-23 and seal the victory. DeRatt began the pivotal late run of four unanswered points with a pair of kills. Coley then clinched the win with two kills of her own.
NOTES: With the loss to Georgia Southern, South Alabama falls to 0-4 in the all-time series and 0-2 on its home floor versus the Eagles. Both the 22 block assists and 12.0 total blocks by the Eagles on Saturday night were the second-most by an opponent this season. With her 22 blocks versus Georgia Southern, Emily Hundt moved into ninth-place on the Jags' career digs list, passing former Jag Jennica Hagberg (1,670). She now has 1,689 for her career.
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).
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