Box Score - South Alabama 3, Georgia Southern 1 (.pdf)STATESBORO, Ga. – Junior opposite side hitter Mechell Daniel recorded 20 kills and a .370 hitting percentage as the University of South Alabama volleyball team picked up its first Sun Belt Conference victory Saturday evening at Georgia Southern at Hanner Fieldhouse. The 3-1 (25-22, 17-25, 25-15, 25-23) victory was also the Jaguars' league road opener.
"Tonight we did a great job of attacking them in sets one and three," South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said. "In the fourth set, it was nice to see the girls fight together for every point once we fell behind and win the match in four. Mechell came to play tonight and was and aggressive presence for us tonight offensively."
USA (7-6, 1-2 SBC) will next travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., to take on Southern Mississippi in its final non-conference match of the season. First serve versus the Golden Eagles is set for 6 p.m. at Reed Green Coliseum. 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 20-kill outing for Daniel was a season best for the Chelmsford, England, native. She also added nine digs and four block assists for the Jags in the win. As a team, South Alabama had 18 block assists in the match.
Nikki Gittens added 10 kills of her own for USA, while Kolby Meeks chipped in with seven off the bench. Gittens also had four block assists, while Meeks had three.
Sophomore setter Emma Anderson posted her fourth double-double of the season with 44 assists and 11 digs. USA was led in digs by senior defensive specialist Emily Hundt's 18. Savannah Stewart had 13 digs of her own.
Georgia Southern dropped to 5-10 and 0-3 in the Sun Belt with the loss. Stephanie Spencer led the club offensively with 11 kills, while Katie Bange also ended the match in double figures with 10. Crysten Curry and Lauren Reichard each had nine kills apiece.
Eagle libero Alex Beecher posted a match-best 31 digs in the loss for Georgia Southern.
SET ONE: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 22Holding a one-point advantage (7-6) early on in the opening set, South Alabama was able to push across six of the next eight points to extend its lead out to 13-8 following a GSU attack error. Meeks, Gittens and Kristina Alabastro each had a kill during the run for the Jags.
With USA still leading 16-11, Georgia Southern rattled off five unanswered points to tie the set back up at 16-16. Spencer and Reichard each had a kill and combined for a block during the 5-0 spurt.
The set would remain close over the next few points and with it tied 19-19, the Jaguars took the lead for good as they pushed across four-straight points. Daniel later sealed the 25-22 first-set win with her fourth kill of the frame.
SET TWO: GEORGIA SOUTHERN 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 17The Eagles broke a 6-6 tie in the second set as they ran off a 7-1 run over the next eight points. Ashley Jones recorded three of her four kills in the set during the run and also added a block assist, while Bange contributed a kill, a solo block and an ace during that same stretch. Bange's ace gave GSU a 14-8 advantage and capped off the run.
USA would continue to struggle the rest of the set offensively as it managed to record just nine kills on 33 attacks and had six errors for an .091 hitting percentage.
Georgia Southern never allowed USA to get any closer, eventually stretching its lead out to as much as 10 points, before taking the set 25-17 on a Curry kill.
SET THREE: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, GEORIGA SOUTHERN 15The Jaguars came out of the intermission and took control early on in the third set, opening up the frame on a 6-1 run. As would be the case for much of the third set, South Alabama used its defense at the net to spur things on, posting six block assists in the early going.
Holding a six-point advantage (12-6), USA stretched its lead out to double digits at 17-6 with a run of five unanswered points. Daniel capped things off with her 10th kill of the match.
USA later lead by as much as 12 before Daniel recorded her fifth kill of the frame to seal the 25-15 win. The Jaguar defense came up big and recorded 14 block assists in the third set, while holding the Eagles to a -.054 (9-11-37).
SET FOUR: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 23Georgia Southern looked as if it was going to push the match to a fifth set early on as the Eagles opened up the fourth frame on a 5-1 run.
Trailing 15-9 following a kill by Bange, the Jaguars began to mount a comeback and chip away at the deficit. Daniel helped key on the Jag rally as she recorded three of her eight fourth-set kills during the charge and pulled USA within one at 19-18 when she slammed home a kill.
The Eagles would stretch their lead back out to 22-19 after another kill by Bange, but down the stretch, South Alabama would take six of the final seven points to rally back and take the set 25-23. Daniel tied the set back up at 22-22 with another putaway and then added her eighth kill of the frame to put USA at match-point. GSU would get a block on the ensuing point, but Sarah Richardson sealed the 25-23 victory with a kill of her own.
Daniel not only came up big on the offensive side of the net in the final frame, but defensively as well as she had seven of South Alabama's 22 digs.
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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