Box Score - South Alabama 3, Texas State 2 (.pdf)MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team recorded 16.0 total blocks, including five solo en route to picking up a thrilling 3-2 (25-16, 20-25, 25-19, 13-25, 15-13) victory over Texas State on Saturday in its annual "Dig Pink" match.
"It was a very competitive match and one that both teams really wanted," South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said. "The only set that was really close was the fifth set, which showed that two teams just had the grit and toughness to go get it. One team was going to get the win and the other wasn't. I thought Texas State played a good match and when they were down 2-1 against us, they came out in the fourth set and just attacked us. I was proud of how my team responded going into set five. They were able to start fresh and put it past them."
The five solo blocks tied for seventh-most in a match since the beginning of rally-era scoring (2001). USA also had five solo blocks in a five-set match at Samford back on Sept. 14, 2002. The five solo blocks were the most in a match by the Jaguars since posting six at North Texas on Oct. 28, 2001.
USA (12-9, 6-4 SBC) will now host in-state conference foe Troy on Tuesday night with first serve set for 6 p.m. at Jag Gym. Live stats and web streaming for the match can be accessed at www.USAJaguars.com. Fans can also keep up with in-match updates by following action on the program's twitter account @USA_Jags_VB.
The match marked the third time in the brief five-match series with Texas State that the two clubs have gone to five sets. USA has taken two of those three matches. It also marked the eighth time this season that the Jaguars have played a five-set match, moving their record to 5-3 in those matches.
The win was Hendrichovsky's 28th Sun Belt victory, the most by any Jaguar head coach.
Mechell Daniel just missed a double-double with 14 kills and nine digs. Daniel was the lone Jag in double figures offensively. Savannah Stewart also just missed a double-double as she had nine kills and nine digs. Sarah Richardson chipped in with eight kills of her own and Nikki Gittens added seven.
Richardson led all players with eight total blocks – two solo and six block assists. Stewart also had a strong night defensively at the net finishing with three solo blocks and a block assists. The three solo blocks tied with nine other players for third-most in a match since 2001.
Gittens had five block assists, while Kolby Meeks and Daniel also added four block assists each. Emily Hundt registered a team-high 19 digs.
Texas State fell to 13-11 overall and 8-3 in conference play with the loss. The Bobcats used a balanced offensive attack as five players ended the match with eight or more kills. Madison Daigle led the way with 13 kills, while Morgan Lewis had 11 and Shelby Vas Matt also end the contest in 10 kills of her own. Kelsey Weynand added nine and Jordan Kohl had eight.
Sierra Smith led all players with 22 digs, while Vas Matt also recorded double figures defensively with 12 digs and three service aces. The double-double was Vas Matt's fourth of the season and third in her last four matches.
Texas State led USA in every statistical category expect blocks where the Jags held the advantage, 16.0 – 6.0, which Hendrichovsky felt was a key to the match.
"In the sets that we won, our defense is what carried really proved to be the difference in the set. It was important for two reasons. One, we were able to get some pressure on them with our serve and then for our block to be as dominant at the net was huge. Anytime you can be that dominant at the net, it makes an attacker think every time they think."
SET ONE: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, TEXAS STATE 16Texas State led by three (8-5) early on in the opening set. However, the Jaguars would rally back, pushing across five of the next six points to take a 10-9 lead following a Bobcat ball-handling error.
With the set tied 13-13 after a kill by Kohl, USA rattled off seven more unanswered points to take control. The Jaguar frontline defense ignited the scoring as Richardson and Meeks teamed up for a block. Stewart later capped off the scoring and put the Jags out on top 20-13 with her second solo block of the run. South Alabama would record four solo blocks and four block assists in the set.
From there, USA maintained control and Richardson sealed the 25-16 victory with her second solo block of the set.
SET TWO: TEXAS STATE 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 20Trailing by two (7-5) in the second set, South Alabama was able to reel off four-straight points and go up 9-7 on a kill by Richardson. The Bobcats would come right back though and retake the lead as they answered with a 5-1 run of their own. Texas State took advantage of three consecutive Jaguar attack errors to end the run and go out in front, 12-11.
The two clubs would exchange the next several points with USA eventually retaking the lead at 15-14. The Bobcats quickly regained control of the set after a Jag serving error on the ensuing rally tied things back up. USA then committed an attack error and a ball-handling error. Following a kill by Richardson, Daigle and Haley Henderson then added a kill each and Vas Matt gave TSU a 20-16 advantage with an ace.
From there, the Bobcats would go on to take the set 25-20 when Morgan Lewis slammed home a kill of her own.
SET THREE: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, TEXAS STATE 19After hitting .038 in the previous set, South Alabama's offense bounced back in the third set, posting its best hitting percentage of the match (.308) in the third set.
USA began the third set by capturing three of the first four points, but Texas State would rally back and tie the frame back up at 7-7 after a kill by Henderson.
Gittens then began a run of four-straight points with one of her three kills in the set and Arissa Chappell dropped in a pair of aces.
Leading 13-10, the Jaguars broke things open with a 7-1 run, which was started by a string of five unanswered points. Daniel highlighted the scoring for South Alabama during the scoring spurt with three of her five kills and Alex Davis put USA up by double figures (21-11) when the freshman posted USA's third ace of the set.
Texas State made things interesting as it rattled off five points of its own to narrow the deficit to 21-16 after back-to-back kills by Vas Matt, but Stewart and Gittens halted the Bobcat momentum as they answered with a kill each.
From there, South Alabama would go on to take the set, 25-19.
SET FOUR: TEXAS STATE 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 13Trailing 2-1 in the match, the Bobcats grabbed momentum from the start of the fourth frame, capturing four of the first five points. After USA had tied the frame back up at 4-4, Texas State erupted with an 11-1 run, which began with nine-straight points. Weynand and Lewis each had two kills and also teamed up on a block during the run. Weynand capped off the scoring and extended the Bobcat advantage to 15-5 with an ace, one of Texas State's three in the set.
USA was unable to get the deficit below double figures for the rest of the set as the Bobcats went on to even the match with the 25-13 victory. Daigle led the club with five kills and hit .625 in the frame, while Lewis added four kills of her own and hit .571. As a team, Texas State had 16 kills and committed just two errors in its 35 attempts for a .400 hitting percentage.
SET FIVE: SOUTH ALABMA 15, TEXAS STATE 13Neither team was able to gain more than a one-point advantage on the other through the first 15 points.
With Texas State leading 9-7, the Jaguars came roaring back as they pushed across five of the next six points to take a 12-10 advantage. Stewart began the pivotal run with a kill. Daniel and Gittens then gave USA the lead for good with a kill each to end the run.
Kristina Alabastro and Richardson later teamed up for a block to put South Alabama at match-point (14-12), but following a serving error, Texas State was just one point away from evening the set. Coming out of a time out though, Daniel clinched the 15-13 victory for the Jaguars as the junior slammed home her 14th kill of the contest.
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—
