USA-BCU Box Score
USA-UGA Box Score

ATHENS, Ga. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team split a pair of matches Saturday at the Bulldog Invitational at the Ramsey Center.

USA (9-4) opened the second day of the tournament with a win in straight sets over Bethune-Cookman. The Jaguars fell to Georgia 3-1 to close the tournament. Jaguar freshman Iva Durdanovic and sophomore Kristina Alabastro were named to the all-tournament team.

"It is definitely a process, and each week we set out things we wanted to improve in," USA head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said of the team's non-conference schedule. "Overall I feel like we improved greatly as a team on the court and off the court – just the intangibles of what it takes to be a team and how we also play on the court as a team."

South Alabama will return to action next weekend when it hosts a pair of matches to open Sun Belt Conference play. USA will take on Texas-Arlington at 6:30 p.m. Fri., Sept. 23, at Jag Gym, followed by a matchup with Texas State at 12:30 p.m. Sun., Sept. 25.

USA 3, Bethune-Cookman 0
The Jaguars defeated the Wildcats in straight sets (25-17, 25-16, 25-22) to earn their second win at the Bulldog Invitational. 

Iva Durdanovic tied a career high with 16 kills, and recorded her team-best fifth double-double after also posting 12 digs. Nikki Gittens finished with 11 digs and a .529 hitting percentage, along with three block assists, and Kristina Alabastro posted 11 kills, one assist, three digs and two block assists, while Mechell Daniel added 10 kills and three digs. Kellyn Reeves recorded 29 assists in three sets, while Ashlyn Roberts added 20.

South Alabama scored eight straight points, highlighted by a pair of kills from Alabastro and a service ace by Reeves, to take an 8-2 lead. The Jags built a nine-point advantage at 15-6 midway through the set following three straight points that featured a pair of kills by Gittens and a kill by Durdanovic. A kill by Gittens and service ace by Abby Baker clinched the first set for the Jaguars at 25-17.

USA fell behind early in set two, but reeled off seven consecutive points – highlighted by three kills from Durdanovic, one kill by Symone Stephenson and a service ace from Reeves – to build an 8-2 lead. BCU rallied to tie the score at 10-10, but the Jaguars used another six-point swing – featuring kills by Gittens and Durdanvoic and a service ace by Arissa Chappell – to build an 18-11 lead. South Alabama scored the final four points of the set on a pair of kills by Gittens, a kill by Daniel and a kill on set point by Alabastro for a 25-16 win in set two.

The Jaguars rallied from a four-point deficit, 16-12, to clinch the match with a 25-22 win in set three. USA scored five straight points midway through the set, highlighted by a pair of kills from Alabastro, and one kill apiece by Daniel and Gittens, to take a 21-19 advantage. A kill by Daniel on a 24-22 Jaguar match point clinched the set and match for South Alabama.

"We played really well this morning," Hendrichovsky said. "We put three sets together, and had moments where we were down and had to fight back. Overall we had a consistent energy and fight, and we played very well in the match."

Georgia 3, USA 1
South Alabama won the opening set, but Georgia responded by taking the next three sets for a 3-1 win.

Durdanovic finished with a game- and career-high 22 kills and a .322 hitting percentage, while also recording eight digs and one block assist. Daniel added 14 kills and four digs, while Baker finished with 23 digs in four sets. Roberts recorded 26 assists, and Reeves added 22 assists.

USA opened the match with a 27-25 win in set one. With the score tied 9-9, USA scored three straight points on kills by Daniel and Kelley Hartman along with a Bulldog attack error for a 12-9 advantage. South Alabama built a five-point lead later in the set at 18-13 following consecutive kills by Alabastro. But Georgia answered with five straight points to tie the game 18-18. With the score tied 25-25, Alabastro delivered consecutive service aces to clinch the set. Durdanovic and Daniel each recorded five kills in the first set.

"We came out in set one and really attacked and stuck with our game plan," Hendrichovsky said. "We were more of the aggressor in that set, but we kind of relaxed and lost that aggressiveness going into the second set and then the momentum of the match turned. I thought the third set was a very even, well-played volleyball set, and they (Georgia) were able to make some plays at the end of the set that helped them solidify it. And the fourth set was another hard-fought set; it was a good match."

Georgia evened the match at one set apiece after a 25-17 win in set two. A kill by Durdanovic cut the Jaguar deficit to 9-8 in the set before Georgia scored six of the next seven points to build a 15-9 advantage. The Bulldogs extended their lead to eight points, 20-12, later in the set and scored the final three points of the set on a kill by Meghan Donovan and a pair of Jaguar attack errors.

Georgia (12-1) earned a 25-22 win in set three to take a 2-1 lead in the match. South Alabama held a two-point lead at 20-18 late in the set following a kill by Daniel and a Bulldog attack error. But Georgia outscored the Jags 7-2 down the stretch, and scored the final three points of the set on Jaguar attack errors.

The Bulldogs clinched the match with a 25-20 win in set four. Georgia stretched its lead to seven points, 13-6, midway through the set. USA cut its deficit to three points three different times later in the set, but following a kill by Durdanovic to cut the Georgia lead to 22-19 the Bulldogs scored three of the final four points of the match and sealed the match on a Jaguar service error.

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).