Box Score - Arkansas State 3, South Alabama 0 (.pdf)Photo GalleryMOBILE, Ala. – Jessica Lewis recorded her ninth double-figure kill match of the season Saturday night, but it wasn't enough as the University of South Alabama volleyball team fell in straight to Arkansas State (19-25, 17-25, 16-25) at Jag Gym.
The Jags (7-7, 2-2 SBC) will head out on the road for three-straight matches. South Alabama will open up the road swing at Appalachian State on Fri., Oct. 3 at 5 p.m. (CT) at the Holmes Center in Boone, N.C., and then take on Georgia State on Sat., Oct. 4 at 5 p.m. (CT) at the GSU Sports Arena.
Lewis led South Alabama with 11 kills in the match, while Nikki Gittens chipped in with eight kills and recorded a .462 hitting percentage. Abby Baker led USA in the back court with 15 digs in the loss.
In her first start in a Jaguar uniform, Sarah Richardson registered five kills and hit .308 to go along with two block assists.
ASU (8-5, 3-1 SBC) was paced by Sarah Kemp's 12 kills. Kelsey Reis added nine kills of her own and hit .389 in the match, while Jessica Uke finished with seven kills and hit .500.
Uke also posted a match-high six total blocks (one solo and five assists), while Kemp, Reis and Arkansas State setter Mallory Warrington each had three block assists.
The Red Wolves held a distinct advantage in that category as they finished with 17 total blocks, while USA had just four block assists.
ASU had two players end the match in double figures in digs led by Markie Schaedig's 17. Drew Jones also added 15 digs of her own.
FIRST SET: ARKANSAS STATE 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 19Arkansas State got off to a quick start in the opening set, capturing the first five points of the match. Jones began the scoring with a kill and Reis later put the Red Wolves up 5-0 with a kill of her own.
ASU later extended its advantage out to 7-3 after a pair of blocks and a kill from Uke.
The Jaguars kept battling and trimmed the deficit to 19-16 following a kill by Gittens and an ASU attack error, but that was as close as South Alabama would get as Reis recorded her fifth and sixth kills of the set and Red Wolf setter surprised the Jaguar defense as she dumped in a kill of her own.
SECOND SET: ARKANSAS STATE 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 17Holding a one-point advantage (6-5) early on in the second set, the Red Wolves broke the set open with a 10-2 run. Kari Castanon-Hill ignited a run of four-straight points for Arkansas State. Kemp added two more kills for ASU and Reis then put the visitors up 17-8 with an ace.
The Red Wolves stretched their lead out to as much as 11 on a couple of occasions before taking the 25-17 second-set victory.
ASU recorded 10 kills and committed just two attack errors for a .320 hitting percentage, while USA committed 10 attack errors and hit .033 in the frame.
THIRD SET: ARKANSAS STATE 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 16South Alabama held a 3-2 lead early on in the final set, but the Red Wolves answered back and retook the lead for good with an 8-2 run over the next 10 points. Kemp and Uke ignited the scoring with a kill each. Schaedig later capped off the ASU run and put the Red Wolves out in front 10-5 with one of ASU's six aces on the night.
Arkansas State later extended its lead out to seven (15-8) following back-to-back kills from Uke.
From there, the Red Wolves held control the rest of the way and later completed the three-set sweep with a 25-16 third-set win.
NOTES: With the win, Arkansas State improves to 25-4 in the all-time series and dating back to the 2006 season, ASU has won eight of the last 10 in the series. South Alabama is 3-11 in the series in matches played in Mobile. With her 11 kills, Jessica Lewis has now recorded double-figures in kills nine times this season. Mechell Daniel was held to a career-low three kills for the second-straight match versus the Red Wolves. Coming into the week, her previous low was four against Lipscomb last season. Sophomore middle blocker Sarah Richardson made her first start of the season for the Jaguars versus ASU.
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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