Box Score - South Alabama 3, Georgia State 1 (.pdf)ATLANTA – The University of South Alabama volleyball team dropped the first set of the match to Georgia State Saturday night, but rallied back to pick up the final three to pick up a 3-1 (22-25, 25-15, 25-19, 25-21) Sun Belt Conference win over the Panthers at the GSU Sports Arena. The win snaps a three-match skid for the Jags.
"Tonight was a good win for us and I thought it was a really good team effort," South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said.
The Jaguars (8-8, 3-3 SBC) will close out its three-match road trip on Wednesday night at in-state rival Troy. First serve versus the Trojans is set for 6 p.m. at Trojan Arena.
Mechell Daniel and Jessica Lewis led the way offensively for South Alabama in the win. Daniel recorded 16 kills and hit .385 – a season-best for the Chelmsford, England native, committing just one attack errors in her 39 attempts, while Lewis was just as effective with 14 kills and hit .324 in the match.
Nikki Gittens also added eight kills and hit .438, while also leading the team with four total blocks – one solo and three assists, while Symone Stephenson had seven kills and hit .308.
The .338 hitting percentage by the Jaguars in the win was its second highest this season. USA also hit .368 in its straight-set win over the Panthers earlier this season in Mobile.
South Alabama also held a 10-7 advantage in the service game. The 10 service aces by South Alabama tied a season-high, matching the 10 versus Northwestern State. Emily Hundt led the way with four aces, while Jenna Hassell and Savannah Stewart each had two aces each.
"The serve and pass game is where you win matches," Hendrichovsky said. "The team that can win the passing side of that area is going to win nine times out of 10. After the first set, we were able to win in those areas and that opened up the outside for our hitters."
Abby Baker led USA with 15 digs, while Hassell chipped in with 11 digs of her own.
Georgia State falls to 3-12 and 1-5 in the SBC with the loss. Eliza Zachary led all players with 18 kills in the match and also posted a .531 hitting percentage and five total blocks – two solo and three assists. Deidra Bohannon was close behind Zachary with 15 kills of her own, while she also added 14 digs. Kitan Ajanaku just missed double digits a she had nine kills in the loss.
SET ONE: GEORGIA STATE 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 21Georgia State grabbed the first three points of the match on a kill by Zachary and a pair of aces from Sydney Mauer.
With the Panthers holding a 10-5 advantage, the Jaguars rallied back with four-straight points and pulled within one (10-9) after a kill by Stephenson, but Georgia State answered with four consecutive points of its own to extend its lead back out to five.
USA once again fought its way back and tied the set back up at 16-16 on a kill by Gittens.
With the set tied at 21-21 though, the Panthers were able to close out the frame strong, picking up four of the final five points to take the set, 25-22 on Zachary's fifth kill of the match..
GSU was very efficient during the opening set, posting a .412 hitting percentage.
SET TWO: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, GEORGIA STATE 15Daniel helped the Jags get off to a quick start in the second set as the sophomore recorded a pair of kills during a 3-1 spurt at the start of the frame.
With USA still holding a three-point advantage (8-5), South Alabama broke things open with a 9-2 run over the next 11 points to extend its lead out to double figures. Jessica Lewis began the run with one of her five kills in the set and Daniel then capped things off when she slammed home back-to-back kills, giving South Alabama a 17-7 lead.
Lewis later put the Jaguars one point away from evening up the match at a set a piece as the sophomore outside hitter recorded a pair of kills to put USA out in front 24-11.
GSU was able to fight off four set points, but coming out of a time out Lewis clinched the 25-15 second-set win.
South Alabama tied a season-high for set hitting percentage in the second frame. USA had 14 kills on 26 attacks and committed just one attack error for a .500 hitting percentage. The Jags also hit .500 in the fifth set versus Montana back on Sept. 5.
SET THREE: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, GEORGIA STATE 19The Panthers held a three-point lead early on in the third set, but trailing 7-4, the Jaguars reeled off five-straight points and seven of the next nine to take the lead for good. Lewis and Moore began the scoring with a kill each. Hundt then followed with three aces and after a GSU point, Stephenson and Daniel capped off the scoring and gave USA an 11-8 advantage with a kill each.
GSU was able to narrow the deficit to one three times over the next several points, but holding a 17-16 lead, the Jaguars pulled away for good with a 5-1 spurt. From there, South Alabama went on to take the set as Daniel sealed the 25-19 victory with her sixth kill of the frame.
SET FOUR: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, GEORGIA STATE 21The fourth and final set was tight throughout the first half of the frame with neither team gaining more than a two-point advantage on the other.
Georgia State finally pushed its lead out to three and led 19-16 following a kill by Bohannon, but the Panthers would commit two attack errors on each of the next two points to begin a 7-0 run for South Alabama. Emma Anderson and Gittens combined to turn back a GSU attack to tie the set up at 19-19 and on the next point, Savannah Stewart dropped in the Jaguars' ninth service ace of the match to give USA the lead for good. Stewart latter capped off the run and gave the Jags a 23-19 lead with another ace.
Gittens later clinched the match and sealed the 25-21 fourth-set win with a kill.
NOTES: With the win versus Georgia State on Saturday, the Jaguars improved to 6-2 in the all-time series and have now won the last five meetings. USA is also now 3-1 in the series on GSU's home floor and has won three-straight. The .385 hitting percentage for Mechell Daniel was a season-high for the Jag outside hitter. The .338 hitting percentage by the Jaguars in the win was its second highest this season. USA also hit .368 in its straight-set win over the Panthers earlier this season in Mobile. The 10 service aces by South Alabama versus the Panthers tied a season-high, matching the 10 versus Northwestern State. Emily Hundt led the way with four aces, while Jenna Hassell and Savannah Stewart each had two aces each. South Alabama tied a season-high for set hitting percentage in the second frame. USA had 14 kills on 26 attacks and committed just one attack error for a .500 hitting percentage. The Jags also hit .500 in the fifth set versus Montana back on Sept. 5.
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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