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

MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine used a balanced offensive attack while committing just nine hitting errors to earn a 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-17) volleyball victory over the University of South Alabama in the season opener for both schools Friday at the Pepperdine Asics Classic.

Jillian Bergeson and Becca Strehlow each posted seven kills, and Katie Messing and Gaby Palmeri collected six apiece as the Waves recorded a .227 attack percentage to claim the first meeting between the two teams.  Bergeson added a team-high 12 digs, with Messing and Strehlow finishing with seven more, while Strehlow had 14 assists and Chanel Brown chipped in with 11.

Mechell Daniel paced the Jaguars with 11 kills, with Nikki Gittens supplying six to go along with five more from both Jessica Lewis and Symone Stephenson.  Emily Hundt collected a double-double with 16 assists — a match-best total — and 12 digs, Jenna Hassell was credited with a match-high 15 digs and Emma Anderson posted 14 assists for USA as well.

While the Jags held a 48-36 advantage in digs, Pepperdine recorded nearly twice as many service aces (11-6) and limited USA to a .107 hitting percentage.

Pepperdine led 7-6 in the first set when the Jaguars scored six straight points behind kills from Stephenson and Lewis around a Wave attack error, with Hundt following with back-to-back service aces before another Stephenson kill.  Stephenson added two more kills in helping USA extend its advantage to 17-10, with the Jags still leading 19-13 when Pepperdine scored six in a row to get back into the set.  With the score tied at 22, Bergeson's kill led to three straight Wave points to give Pepperdine a 1-0 lead.

The Waves opened the second set by scoring six of the first seven points — Samantha Cash accounted for half of those with aces, finishing the night with a match-high four — maintaining a three- or four-point advantage before pushing the edge to 16-10.  USA responded with four consecutive kills from Hundt, Daniel — who had two in a row — and Mallory Moore, closing to within two points at 18-16 on another Daniel kill.  With Messing serving Pepperdine build the lead back to 21-17, but trailing 24-19 the Jaguars stayed alive as Moore and Daniel each posted back-to-back kills before a kill from Palmeri gave the Waves a 2-0 advantage.

Hassell recorded an ace, with Daniel and Moore supplying kills, to help the Jags jump out to a 4-2 advantage in the final set, however Palmeri and Strehlow answered with kills for Pepperdine's first lead at 5-4.  The Waves would increase their edge to three twice —12-9 and 13-10 — but a pair of errors and a Stewart kill evened the set once again at 13 all; after exchanging points Pepperdine took advantage of three errors and a kill from Olivia Okoro to go up by four.  Katie Lespier extended the edge to 22-15 with three Wave points coming on her serve, and after two straight kills from Bergeson and another by Messing Pepperdine closed out the match.

The Jaguars will finish the tournament with two matches on Saturday, first facing Oral Roberts at noon (CDT) before returning to take on Nevada at 7 p.m.

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).

—USA—