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MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team defeated Appalachian State in four sets (20-25, 25-23, 25-16, 27-25) in Sun Belt Conference action Sunday at Jag Gym.

Three Jaguars posted double-figure kill totals in the match, led by Mechell Daniel who recorded her third double-double of the season with 19 kills and 11 digs, which marked the 43rd for her career making her the program's all-time leader in the category. Kristina Alabastro finished with 11 kills and a .550 hitting percentage, along with one assist, three digs and six block-assists. Nikki Gittens recorded 11 kills, one dig, one block solo and four block assists.
Ashlyn Roberts recorded a team-high 24 assists, and Parker Harrell finished with a season-high 21 assists. Sarah Richardson finished with a season-high eight block-assists to lead the Jaguar defense, which posted 13 total team blocks in the match. 

Appalachian State (3-21, 1-10 SBC) opened the match with a 25-20 win in set one. But South Alabama (14-11, 5-7 SBC) responded with wins in the next three sets to clinch the match.

The Jaguars evened the match with a 25-23 win in set two. Daniel led the Jaguar attack with five kills in the set, while Alabastro and Gittens added three apiece. USA fell behind 23-22 late in the set following an attack error by Gittens, but the Jags answered to score the next three points on a kill by Iva Durdanovic and a pair of Mountaineer errors to clinch the set.

South Alabama recorded six total team blocks in the third set en route to a 25-16 win in the set and a 2-1 lead in the match. Richardson finished with four block-assists in the set, and Alabastro added three block-assists. The Jaguars held a one-point lead, 17-16, late in the set before scoring eight straight points, highlighted by a pair of kills from Alabastro and one kill each by Daniel and Richardson, to take the set.

USA clinched the match with a 27-25 win in set four. Daniel recorded six kills and a .462 hitting percentage, along with four digs and two block-assists in the set, while Gittens added five kills and a .571 hitting percentage with one block solo and one block-assist. The Jags overcame a two-point deficit on an App State set point, 24-22, to tie the score 24-24 following a Mountaineer attack error. App State earned set point again after a kill by Sloan Evans pushed its lead to 25-24. But the Jaguars responded with three consecutive points on a pair of kills by Daniel and a Mountaineer attack error, which ended the match.

"We knew App State was a very good team," USA head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said. "They have had some injuries and adversity this year, and they are starting to put some stuff together. I knew they would give us a battle today. I am proud of our team for staying confident and composed, even when they pushed us. As far as how we ended, Mechell (Daniel) scored two of the final three points. I tell her all the time she is an incredible player. I am proud of all four of our seniors. Deanna Canfield got to play the whole match tonight, and she did a great job for us. It was a very special day."

South Alabama will return to action Fri., Nov. 4, in a SBC contest against Louisiana-Monroe at 6:30 p.m. in Monroe, La.

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).