Box Score (PDF)

ARLINGTON, Texas – The University of South Alabama volleyball team defeated UT Arlington in four sets (22-25, 25-19, 25-20, 25-19) in Sun Belt Conference action Friday at College Park Center.

South Alabama (15-6, 6-1 Sun Belt) extended its win streak to five matches with the win, which also marked its third consecutive road victory. South Alabama will return to action Sat., Oct. 19, when it faces Texas State at 6:30 p.m. at Strahan Center in San Marcos, Texas.

 GAME FACTS
-  USA tied the score at 10-10 in the opening set following a kill by Hannah Harris, but UTA went on a 6-1 scoring run to build 16-11 advantage. The Mavericks pushed their lead to nine points at 23-14 before a 3-0 Jaguar scoring run, highlighted by kills from Iva Durdanovic and Harris, cut the UTA lead to 23-17. The Mavericks earned set point at 24-17 on a Jag service error. The Jags then went on a 5-0 run via four kills by Harris and block-assist from Kelley Hartman and Lauren Hartman to cut the UTA lead to 24-22. But UTA clinched the set 25-22 on the next point on a kill by Kylie Jedlicka to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
- UTA held a one-point lead in set two after a kill by Jedlicka pushed the advantage to 14-13. South Alabama responded with a 6-0 scoring run, highlighted by kills by Hannah Johnson and Meaghan Jones, a service ace from Rachael DeMarcus and solo block by Hannah Maddux, to take a 19-14 lead. The Jags earned set point at 24-18 on a Maverick attack error, and clinched the set 25-19 on a kill by Maddux to even the match at one set apiece.
- UTA tied the score at 13-13 midway through set three, but South Alabama answered with a 3-0 run that was aided by a pair of Maverick errors to take a 16-13 lead. Consecutive kills by Maddux and Kelley Hartman, and a solo block by Durdanovic pushed the Jaguar advantage to 21-16. USA later earned set point at 24-19 on a kill by Harris, and clinched the set 25-20 on a Maverick attack error to take a 2-1 lead in the match. 
- The Mavericks cut the Jaguar lead to two points at 15-13 midway through set four, but never got any closer. A 5-1 Jaguar run extended the USA lead to 20-14. UTA answered with a 3-0 run to cut the Jag lead to 20-17, but a Maverick attack error and kill by Johnson pushed the USA advantage to 22-17. USA later earned match point at 24-19 on a kill by Ashlyn Roberts, and clinched the match 25-19 on a kill by Durdanovic.

NOTES
- DeMarcus recorded her fifth double-double of the season, and second in as many matches, with 30 assists and 16 digs, and also added one service ace. 
- Harris led the Jags with 12 kills, and added one service ace, seven digs and one block.
- Kelley Hartman recorded 10 kills, .444 hitting percentage, five digs and two total blocks.
- Roberts led the Jags with 17 digs, and also added six assists and one kill. 
- Johnson and Maddux shared the team high with four total blocks apiece.
- The win marked the Jaguars' third straight over UT Arlington.

QUOTES
Head Coach Alexis Meeks-Rydell
- On the win:
"UTA is a very talented young team that came out incredibly strong tonight, and we did not respond well in the first set until the end of the set, which gave us some momentum going into set two. I knew we needed a spark on the court, so I made a switch in set two to a lineup we haven't used all year and it paid off. I am so incredibly proud of not only the whole team, but our underclassmen – especially Lillie Fromdahl and Hannah Maddux – for stepping up when we needed to make a change tonight. If there is one thing I can say about our program, it's that we play as a program. Every kid trusts us as coaches and understands whether they are on the court or on the bench, they are important and they want what's best for the program and for us to come out on top. We have a big test tomorrow, but for now I'm going to celebrate this win with them because I am just dang proud of how we're playing as a team."

UP NEXT
South Alabama will return to action Sat., Oct. 19, when it faces Texas State at 6:30 p.m. at Strahan Center in San Marcos, Texas.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with USAJaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at Twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Rally Score Club, the volleyball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All donations to the Rally Score Club go directly to support the South Alabama volleyball program. For more information on how you can join visit:  jaguarathleticfund.com/rallyscoreclub.