Box Score - South Alabama 3, Troy 1 (.pdf)MOBILE, Ala. – Playing in front of its largest home crowd of the season, Mechell Daniel (12 kills, 19 digs) and Savannah Stewart (11 kills, 12 digs) each recorded a double-double, leading the University of South Alabama volleyball team to its sixth-straight win on its home floor Tuesday night at Jag Gym.
"I think we came out a little nervous tonight," South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said. "This is the largest crowd we've had at home this year. A lot of our player's classmates, fans and other people in the athletic department were here in support of us tonight and I think our nerves got the best of us early on. To Troy's credit they came ready to play and attacked us from the beginning. We were able to battle back and make it close in that first set and that built some momentum for us as we headed into set two.
The crowd of 547 was also the second-largest of the season for USA to play in front of this season, falling just short of the high-mark of 589 at Arkansas State.
For Daniel, Tuesday night's performance marked the 10th double-double of the season for the Chelmsford, England, native, and the 38th of the junior's career, while it was the second of the season for Stewart and 10th of her career.
The win was also South Alabama's eighth in its last 11 matches, including seven of its last nine in Sun Belt play.
USA (13-9, 7-4 SBC) will head back out on the road for a pair of matches this weekend, beginning with Georgia State on Friday. First serve versus the Panthers is set for 5 p.m. (CT) at the GSU Sports Arena. 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.
Redshirt junior middle blocker Nikki Gittens also chipped in with seven kills of her own, but her biggest contribution in the four-set victory was at the net where she had 10 total blocks – one solo and nine assists. The 10-block outing marks the third time this season a Jag has reached double digits in that category, as Sarah Richardson has the two other. Richardson and true freshman Kristina Alabastro also chipped in with five block assists apiece.
"We played a heartbreaker at (Troy's) place and lost in five earlier this season," Hendrichovsky said. "I know our girls really wanted this match and they were looking for it. I'm proud of them for pulling out the win. I thought Nikki Gittens, Sarah (Richardson), Kristina (Alabastro) and really all of our blockers came to play tonight and that really helped us win the match."
As a team, South Alabama held a 17.0 – 7.0 advantage over the Trojans in blocks. USA posted three solo blocks and 28 block assist.
Freshman setter Parker Harrell came off the bench to record a career-high 32 assists and two aces, while senior defensive specialist Emily Hundt carded a match-high 22 digs.
Troy dropped to 13-13 overall and 6-6 in league play with the loss. Blair Winston was the lone Trojan to end the match in double figures offensively, finishing with 17 kills. Trojan setter Reina Terry also had a double-double in the loss with 36 assists and 11 digs. Ali Dowdall led the club with 21 digs in the backcourt.
SET ONE: TROY 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 21The Trojans got off to a quick start opening the match with four-straight points, two coming of aces by Terry.
South Alabama would trim the deficit to one over the next several points, but Troy used a 6-3 spurt over the next nine points to turn a 6-5 advantage into a 12-8 lead after a Jaguar setting error. USA continued to fight and cut the deficit to 12-10 following a kill by Savannah Stewart.
The Trojans would hold control though and see their lead grow to five (18-13) on a kill by Symone Shaw. South Alabama tried to rally back over the remainder of the set, but could only get as close as two on three different occasions. The Jags ran off three consecutive points – a kill by Harrell, solo block by Daniel and a Trojan attack error – to pull within 23-21, but Troy would pick up the final two points to take the set.
Winston led Troy offensively during the first set with six kills on eight attacks for a .750 hitting percentage.
SET TWO: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, TROY 21The Jags led by as much as three early on in the second set, but with USA holding an 11-9 advantage after a kill by Gittens, Troy quickly reclaimed the lead as the Trojans reeled off six unanswered points. Sara Landis had a pair of kills during the run and Darby Griff gave the visitors a 14-11 advantage with a putaway of her own.
With Troy still leading 18-15 later in the set, Stewart and Gittens led the charge back for the Jaguars as South Alabama pushed across six of the next seven points to take a two-point lead at 21-19. Alabastro slammed home a kill and then teamed up with Gittens for a block to ignite the 6-1 run. After a point was credited to Troy when USA was called in the net for a blocking error, Stewart registered back-to-back kills and then combined with Gittens for another block. On the next point, Gittens provided the defense on her own as she turned back another shot. The Jag middle blocker came up big at the net defensively for South Alabama recording five total blocks in the frame.
The Trojans battled back and tied the set back up at 21-21 after a kill by Winston, but USA closed out strong, capturing the final four points of the set, to even the match with the 25-21 victory. Gittens had a kill and another block assists to begin the pivotal run. Daniel then slammed home her fourth kill of the set on an over and USA picked up the four-point victory following an errant Trojan attack.
Led by Gittens' play at the net, USA posted 11 blocks in the second set and held Troy to a .100 hitting percentage, while posting a .263 percentage. The Jaguars were led offensively by the trio of Daniel, Stewart and Gittens, who combined for 10 of USA's 13 kills in the set.
SET THREE: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, TROY 19Coming out of the intermission, the Jaguars kept the momentum, opening the third set by taking seven of the first 10 points. Richardson gave USA the early four-point advantage with an ace.
With South Alabama holding a 10-5 advantage, Troy answered back with a 4-0 run to trim the deficit to one on a kill by Winston.
The set would remain close over the next several points until with USA holding a 14-13 advantage, the Jaguars took control and broke things open with a 6-0 run. Stewart began the run with one of her four kills in the set and then teamed up with Gittens again for another block. Troy then added two more attack errors and a ball-handling error before Alabastro finished off the run with a kill to put USA up 20-13.
Stewart later recorded another kill to put South Alabama at set-point (24-17), but Troy was able to push across a pair of points before Daniel sealed the win with her fourth kill of the frame and 10th of the match.
SET FOUR: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, TROY 21Tied 7-7 in the fourth and final set, South Alabama took an 11-7 lead with a run of four-straight points. Richardson had a kill and a block assists, while Harrell registered a pair of aces, the second giving USA the four-point advantage.
USA gained some breathing room later in the set. Holding a three-point advantage at 13-10, South Alabama was able to push across four of the next five points. The Jag defense started the run as Harrell and Gittens combined on a block and Arissa Chappell dropped in an ace. Stewart later gave USA the 17-11 lead with a kill.
Troy took advantage of three-straight Jaguar attack errors to cut the deficit in half, but as would prove to be the case down the stretch, the Trojans would struggle at the serving line, committing a serving error coming out of a South Alabama time out. South Alabama quickly doubled its lead back up on a block by Daniel and Richardson and then pushed it out to 21-14 after another Trojan attack error.
The Trojans made a late charge down the stretch, trimming USA's advantage to 23-21 on a Winston kill, but serving would again be the issue as the ensuing serve by Troy went into the net. The Jag defense clinched the match on the next point as Alabastro and Gittens turned back one final Trojan attack.
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—
