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

MOBILE, Ala. – Senior defensive specialist Emily Hundt recorded a match-high 17 digs Friday night, but the University of South Alabama volleyball team fell in straight sets (17-25, 22-25, 14-25) to Arkansas State in both teams' Sun Belt Conference opener at Jag Gym.  

USA (5-5, 0-1 SBC) will next host Appalachian State on Saturday night with first serve set for 6:30 p.m. at Jag Gym.  Live stats and web streaming for the match versus the Mountaineers 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.

Offensively, the Jaguars were paced by Mechell Daniel and Nikki Gittens who finished the match with 10 and nine kills, respectively.  Freshman outside hitter Kristina Alabastro added six kills and hit .429 in the loss.

Arkansas State (10-1, 1-0 SBC) used a balanced offensive attack in the win with five players finishing with eight kills or more.  Carlisa May led the way with 10 kills, while Darby Graff had nine.  Anna Murphy, Drew Jones and Kelsey Reis chipped in with eight kills apiece.

Murphy also hit .615 in the win and recorded six total blocks – one solo and five block assists.  Graff posted a .421 hitting percentage (9-1-19) and Reis ended the night with a .400 percentage (8-2-15).

As a team, the Red Wolves hit .343, registering 46 kills on 102 attempts and committing just 11 errors.

SET ONE: ARKANSAS STATE 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 17
Behind the play of Murphy, the Red Wolves jumped out an early 5-2 advantage.  Murphy, who had four first-set kills, recorded a pair of kills and a pair of blocks during the run to help ASU grab the quick three-point advantage.  

South Alabama fought its way back and eventually grabbed the lead at 10-9 on an ace by Arissa Chappell, the Jaguars' second of the set.  

With the opening set tied 12-12, Arkansas State retook the lead for good with a run of four-straight points, the last three coming on kills by Reis.

ASU continued to hold the momentum from there and took the first set with the 25-17 victory.

The Red Wolves came out on fire and used a balanced offensive attack as four players had three kills or more, led by Graff's five.  Graff didn't commit an attack error in the set, posting a .625 percentage (18-3-37).  USA managed to hit .115 in frame.  

Warrington registered 15 assists on ASU's 18 kills in the frame.  

SET TWO: ARKANSAS STATE 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 22
ASU held a four-point lead (10-6) in the second set, but the Jaguars came roaring back and retook the lead with a 9-0 run.  Gittens, who had four kills in the set, ignited the run with a putaway.  Daniel later slammed home back-to-back kills of her own to give USA the lead.  The Jag duo then teamed up for a block on the next point and after an ASU setting error, South Alabama extended its lead out to 15-10.

The lead didn't last long though as the Red Wolves answered right back and rattled off five consecutive points of its own to tie the set back up.  Jones knotted the set up at 15-15 with back-to-back kills.

The set would remain close the rest of the way, but Arkansas State was able to take the lead for good as it broke a 21-21 tie late.  May had a pair of kills during the pivotal run and Brentlee Weaver also dropped in an aces to give ASU set-point.  May led all players in the set with six kills and hit .500.

USA was able to fight off one set-point, but Murphy clinched the 25-22 victory for the visitors with her sixth kill of the match.

SET THREE: ARKANSAS STATE 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 14
Leading 2-0 in the match, the Red Wolves took control early on in the third and final set, opening by taking nine of the first 11 points.  Murphy added two more kills during the ASU run and Hannah Robey registered the Red Wolves' fourth aces of the evening.  

Arkansas State would later stretch its lead out to double figures at 17-7 following block assists by Graff and Murphy and eventually take the match with the 25-14 third-set victory.

The Red Wolves hit over .400 for the second set in the match, recording 13 kills on 24 attacks with just three errors for a .417 hitting percentage.

USA had nine kills and seven errors on 25 attempts for a .080 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).

—USA—