Box Score - UT Arlington 3, South Alabama 0 (.pdf)2015 Sun Belt Conference Tournament Bracket (.pdf)Tournament CentralARLINGTON, Texas – The University of South Alabama volleyball team ended the regular-season portion of its schedule with a 3-0 (13-25, 23-35, 23-25) loss at UT Arlington Sunday afternoon at the College Park Center.
South Alabama (13-14, 7-9 SBC) will now head into the postseason where it will open up play at the 2015 Sun Belt Conference Championships held in Statesboro, Ga., as the sixth seed against third-seeded Texas State at 1:30 p.m. (CT) at Hanner Fieldhouse.
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. All matches at this year's Sun Belt tournametn will be available for viewing on ESPN3.
Nikki Gittens led South Alabama offensively with a match-best 11 kills, while Mechell Daniel just missed double figures with nine kills. The nine-kill outing marked just the second time this season that Daniel has not recorded a double-digit kill tally (eight vs. Belmont).
Senior defensive specialist Emily Hundt led the Jags in the back court with 17 digs. At the net, USA – which entered the match averaging 2.22 blocks per set – recorded just five total blocks in the match, which tied for their third-lowest amount of the season.
UT Arlington improved to 19-9 overall and 10-6 in Sun Belt play with the win. Stacey Koch paced the club offensively with nine kills. Kaitlyn Granger and Qiana Cante each had eight kills apiece, while Zhanelle Geathers chipped in with seven.
Cante also added 14 digs and Caitlyn Cooney finished with 18.
SET ONE: UT ARLINGTON 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 13With the opening set tied at 8-8, UT Arlington was the first club to gain some breathing room. The Mavericks used a 7-1 run over the next eight points to extend their lead out to 14-9. Koch had three of her four kills and a block assists during the run.
Following a kill by USA's Sarah Richardson, UT Arlington rattled off another 7-1 spurt to take a double-digit advantage at 22-11. Geathers and Granger teamed up for a block to give the Mavericks the 11-point lead.
UTA's play at the net would prove to be key in the 25-13 first-set victory as the Mavs had nine total blocks, four coming from Geathers.
UT Arlington also hit .241 in the set, while holding South Alabama to a .000 hitting percentage (9-9-35).
SET TWO: UT ARLINGTON 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 23UTA opened up the second set with the first five points of the frame, before South Alabama responded with a 6-0 run to take a one-point lead following a kill by Daniel and a kill by Gittens.
Over the next several points, neither team was able to take control. With USA holding a 14-13 advantage after a Maverick serving error, UTA took the lead for good as it pushed across three-straight points. Cante recorded a kill and after a UTA block by Marisah Ingram and Cante, the Jags committed an unforced attack error.
Stewart pulled USA within one on the ensuing rally, but the Mavericks picked up four of the next five points to stretch their lead out to 20-16. Koch gave UTA the four-point advantage with her seventh kill of the match.
Trailing 24-20, South Alabama was able to fight off three straight set-points by UT Arlington. Gittens had two of her six second-set kills on the first two points. UTA then committed an attack error to let USA pull within one at 24-23. However, on the next point, Maverick setter Cassidy Wheeler sealed the win with a kill of her own.
SET THREE: UT ARLINGTON 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 23Coming out of the intermission, UT Arlington picked up the first two points of the third set and jumped out to a six-point lead (14-8) following a kill by Granger.
South Alabama pushed across the next four points though after a UTA attack error, kills by Daniel and Richardson and a solo block from Richardson to narrow the deficit to 14-12.
The Mavericks regained control in the set though as they captured four of the next five points to take a five-point lead (18-13). Granger capped off the 4-1 run with one of her four kills in the frame.
South Alabama made a late rally, pulling within one on three different occasions, the last coming at 24-23 on Daniel's fifth kill of the set, but on the next point, Geathers clinched the 25-23 third-set win and the sweep with her eighth kill of the afternoon.
The Jaguars did manage to record their best offensive set of the afternoon in the final frame, finishing it with 15 kills and a .316 hitting percentage.
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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