Box Score - Arkansas State 3, South Alabama 0 (.pdf)JONESBORO, Ark. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team fell in straight-sets, 3-0 (21-25, 22-25, 17-25) to Arkansas State on Saturday evening at the Convocation Center.
The Jaguars (10-12, 5-7 SBC) will close out its three-match road trip at Georgia Southern on Friday, Oct. 31 when it takes on the Eagles at 5 p.m. (CT) at Hanner Fieldhouse and then return home to host Texas State on Sunday, Nov. 2. First serve versus the Bobcats is set for noon at Jag Gym.
Sophomore outside hitter Mechell Daniel paced the club both offensively and defensively for the Jags as she recorded 14 kills and 15 digs – both team-highs – for her ninth double-double of the season. Nikki Gittens finished with 10 kills of her own, while Symone Stephenson added six kills and hit .385 in the match. Senior libero Jenna Hassell recorded 14 digs for USA in the loss.
Arkansas State improved to 13-8 overall and 8-4 in the Sun Belt with the win. Sarah Kemp paced ASU with 14 kills, while Kari Kastanon-Hill and Jessica Uke also chipped in with seven kills each. Drew Jones and Kelsey Reis each had six kills apiece.
Uke also led the Red Wolves with five total blocks – two solo and three assists. Markie Schaedig – who came into the match ranked second in the nation in digs per set – led all players with 32 digs. ASU setter Mallory Warrigton recorded a double-double in the with 33 assists and 18 digs.
SET ONE: ARKANSAS STATE 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 21The host Red Wolves got off to a quick start, opening the match by picking up the first four points. Uke led ASU during the opening run with a pair of kills and a solo block.
USA battled back and took the lead at 7-6 on a kill by Gittens, but three points later with the set tied at 8-8, Arkansas State pushed across three-straight points and took an 11-8 lead on a kill by Warrington.
ASU would go on to lead by as much as five in the set, but the Jags kept battling back, trimming the deficit to as little as two on multiple occasions. Daniel cut the Red Wolves' lead to 24-21 with her sixth kill of the frame, but Sarah Kemp sealed the 25-21 win for ASU on the next point with a kill of her own.
Symone Stephenson also had four kills in the opening set for USA.
SET TWO: ARKANSAS STATE 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 22ASU picked up two of the first three points of the second set, but South Alabama charged right back and answered with six-straight points. Mallory Moore gave USA a five point advantage with a kill.
The Red Wolves hang around and began to chip away at the deficit, pulling within one (10-9) after a kill by Warrington. The Jags extended the lead back out to three two points later, but Arkansas State came right back and tied the contest back up at 13-13 on an ace by Kemp.
With the second set still tied at 20-20 after a kill by Jessica Lewis and an ASU attack error, the Red Wolves regained the lead for good on a block assists by Kemp and Uke. Kemp then recorded her third kill of the frame to increase Arkansas State's advantage to 22-20. From there, the Red Wolves went on to take a two sets to none lead with the 25-22 victory.
SET THREE: ARKANSAS STATE 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 17Arkansas State came out of the intermission and led wire-to-wire in the final set, capturing the first two points of the set.
Leading by one at 4-3, ASU broke the frame open as it pushed across seven of the next nine points to take an 11-5 lead. Kemp posted three of her kills in the match during the run.
The Red Wolves never allowed USA to get any closer than five the rest of the way and went on to take the match with a 25-17 victory on an ace by Warrington – her second of the match and the sixth of the night for Arkansas State.
NOTES: With the loss to Arkansas State, South Alabama drops to 4-26 in the all-time series. ASU has now won nine of the last 11 meetings. USA is also 1-13 in the series in matches played in Jonesboro. Mechell Daniel posted her ninth double-double of the season as she finished the match versus the Red Wolves with 14 kills and 15 digs. With her 30 assists versus Arkansas State, junior Jaguar setter Emily Hundt moved into sixth-place all-time as she now has 1,810 for her career, passing Marie-Anne Grondin (1,807) who lettered at South Alabama 2001-04.
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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