Box Score - South Alabama 3, Belmont 1 (.pdf)Box Score - Memphis 3, South Alabama 0 (.pdf)NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team captured a 3-1 victory (23-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-15) over tournament host Belmont in its opening match of the day on Friday at the Bruiser Showcase held at the Curb Event Center, but fell 3-0 (20-25, 18-25, 20-25) to Memphis in its second match of the day.
"Against Belmont, I would say that we played one of our best matches from the start to the finish," South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said. "Even though the first set didn't go our way, we still played through our system and played to our strengths. We just weren't as crisp. Going into the second, third and fourth sets, we cleaned some things up and made some adjustments. Our players stuck to the game-plan all the way through and played a very complete match.
"I told our team after a match against Memphis that if we had played like we did at the end of all three sets at the beginning of those sets, it could've been a different match. We always found ourselves behind early on and had to fight our way back. If we could've started of each set a little stronger and been more efficient, we could have made that match a little more interesting. I'm proud of way the team continued to fight playing in back-to-back matches for the second weekend in a row."
The Jags (2-3) will close out with a single match on Saturday against UTEP slated to begin at 11 a.m. Live stats can be accessed on the volleyball schedule page 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.
MATCH ONE: SOUTH ALABAMA 3, BELMONT 1South Alabama opened up play on Friday with a four-set victory over the tournament host Belmont. After dropping the opening set, the Jaguars rallied back to pick up the final three and even its record on the year.
USA was led offensively by Deanna Canfield and Kristina Alabastro who each had 13 kills apiece. Alabastro also posted a .455 hitting percentage (13-3-22) and nearly recorded her first career double-double, ending the match with nine digs, in her first career start.
Mechell Daniel had eight kills and hit .368, while Nikki Gittens chipped in with seven kills and hit .333. Gittens led the club with four block assists, while Daniel added three.
Sophomore setter Emma Anderson also almost had a double-double, finishing with 42 assists and nine digs as well. Arissa Chappell and Emily Hundt led the Jags in the digs department with 15 and 13, respectively.
Belmont (0-4) placed two in double digits offensively as Arianna Person and Brie Lewis each had 12 kills each. Lewis also hit .458 in the match registering just one attack error in her 24 attempts.
The key stat of the match was from behind the serving line where the Bruins recorded 20 service errors, compared to just four by the Jaguars. South Alabama also held a huge advantage in digs, holding a 29-dig (63-34) margin over the Bruins.
SET ONE: BELMONT 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 23In the opening set, South Alabama led 10-9 advantage following a Bruin attack error, but the tourney host would pick up the next three points to take a two-point lead. Lewis had two of her five first-set kills during the scoring spurt while Jessica Vestal and Alexa Nichols gave BU the 12-10 lead when the duo teamed up to block a Jaguar attack.
USA fought its way back and tied the contest back up at 15-15 on a kill by Daniel. The Bruins would again extend their lead back out to three on a couple of occasions and held set-point at 24-21. The Jags picked up the next two points though to cut the deficit to 24-23 courtesy of Belmont's sixth serving error of the frame and an attack error. Following a time out, the Bruin defense sealed the 25-23 win as Jocelyn Youngdahl and Vestal teamed up for another block.
Lewis led all players with five kills in the frame, while Arianna added four for Belmont. The Bruins recorded 15 kills on 35 attacks and committed just four errors for a .314 hitting percentage. Canfield and Alabastro – making her first career start – each had four kills to pace the Jaguars offensively in the set.
SET TWO: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, BELMONT 21The Jaguars took the early lead and behind the play of Canfield, jumped out to a quick 5-1 lead. Canfield recorded USA's first three points of the set, posting a pair of kills and a service ace. Belmont battled back and after back-to-back kills by Arianna Person to knot the set back up at 8-8.
Later in the frame it was Canfield again who sparked the Jag offense. The senior from Panama City, Fla., posted three more kills and led a 5-1 run for South Alabama. Canfield capped off the scoring and put USA up 15-11 with her ninth kill of the contest.
From there, the Jaguars continued to hold control and eventually took its largest lead of the set at six (23-17) after a pair of kill by Gittens and a Savannah Stewart putaway.
Alabastro later evened the match for the Jaguars as her eighth kill of the match gave USA a 25-21 second-set victory.
After hitting .161 in the opening set, the South Alabama offense was very efficient in the second set, posting a .387 attack percentage (17-5-31).
SET THREE: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, BELMONT 16South Alabama again used an early surge to take control early on in the third set, beginning the frame by picking up four of the first five points. Alabastro gave USA the three-point advantage with two more kills from the freshman.
Holding a four-point lead (9-5), the Jaguars broke the set open and grabbed the momentum for good as USA rattled off five unanswered points and extended its lead out to 14-5.
South Alabama later took its first double-digit lead of the afternoon at 21-10 following kills by Daniel and Alabastro and eventually took a 2-1 lead in the match with the 25-16 third-set victory.
SET FOUR: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, BELMONT 15The Jaguars continued to hold the momentum in the fourth set, capturing the first three points of the final frame. USA would not relinquish the lead from there. After the Bruins trimmed South Alabama's lead to one (8-7), the Jags opened up some breathing room as they pushed across four consecutive points. Daniel and Gittens recorded back-to-back block assists for South Alabama to extend the lead out to 12-7.
USA would eventually stretch its lead out to seven four points later following a BU ball-handling error. Belmont narrowed the gap to 15-11 with four unanswered points of its own, but the Jaguars didn't allow the home team to get any closer and quickly regained the momentum, reeling off five straight points of their own. Alabastro capped off the scoring and gave South Alabama a 20-11 advantage with another kill.
From there, South Alabama would hold control and eventually take the match with the 25-15 set-win.
MATCH TWO: MEMPHIS 3, SOUTH ALABAMA 0In its second match of the day, South Alabama fell in straight sets to Memphis.
The Tigers (4-1) posted a .339 hitting percentage for the match and committed just seven attack errors in their 109 attempts. Memphis also had 44 total kills, led by Catlin Lilly's match-high 15. Lilly also posted a .406 hitting percentage for the match.
Summer Morgan had eight kills on 13 attempts and just one attack error for a .538 hitting percentage. Oluchi Agomuo led all players with 17 digs. Mady Ruhlman added 13 digs of her own.
South Alabama was led offensively by Daniel's 12 kills and .345 hitting percentage. Daniel also finished the match with seven digs and two total blocks (one solo and one block assist). Gittens was second on the club with eight kills and a .300 attack percentage.
Chappell paced the club in the backcourt with 14 digs, while Hundt carded 10 of her own.
SET ONE: MEMPHIS 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 20Memphis broke an early 5-5 tie in the first set as the Tigers pushed across three-straight points. MU eventually took an 11-7 lead following a kill by Veronica Zimmerman.
USA narrowed the deficit to two (12-10) a few points later after a kill by Gittens, but the Tigers again saw their lead grow, opening the margin out to 18-11 following a Jaguar attack error.
Chappell dropped in an ace late in the set to cut the deficit to 24-20, but Memphis picked up the set on the next point to take the early lead in the match.
The Tigers used a balanced offensive attack in the opening set as six players recorded at least two kills each, led by Caitlin Lilly's three.
SET TWO: MEMPHIS 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 18The Tigers took control early on in the second set as they broke a 3-3 tie and rattled off five straight points. MU run was capped off by back-to-back service aces by Lilly.
Memphis later extended its lead out to as much as eight on several occasions. South Alabama made a late charge at the Tigers and trimmed the deficit to 20-15 following a pair of kills by Alabastro, but USA would get no closer. Lilly eventually sealed the 25-18 win for the Tigers with her sixth kill of the frame.
Daniel led South Alabama offensively in the second set, recording five kills of her own.
Memphis posted a .433 hitting percentage in the second set with 14 kills on 30 attempts with just one error.
SET THREE: MEMPHIS 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 20Holding a 2-0 lead in the match, Memphis used an early run to take control of the third set. During the 7-0 run, Agomuo had a kill and a block assist, while McKenzie Hayes had two kills and a block assist and Morgan added a kill and a pair of block assists of her own.
The Tigers continued to hold control over the next several points and with Memphis leading 18-11, the Jaguars began to fight back. Daniel pulled USA within four (18-14) after a solo block and a kill.
South Alabama kept battling and got as close as three, the last time coming at 23-20 following a kill by Anderson, but MU picked up the final two points of the match. Lilly and Hayes clinched the straight-set win with a kill each.
Memphis was again extremely efficient on the offensive side of the net, registering a .341 hitting percentage (17-2-44).
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—
