Box Score

ATLANTA – The University of South Alabama volleyball team defeated Georgia Southern in straight sets (25-21, 25-15, 25-21) in a Sun Belt Conference East Division match at Hanner Fieldhouse.

USA (11-6, 3-1 Sun Belt) improved to 3-1 in Sun Belt play with the win, which marked its first league road win this season. South Alabama will return to action Tue., Oct. 8, when it faces Southern Miss at 6 p.m. in Hattiesburg, Miss.

 GAME FACTS
- The Eagles scored the first two points of the opening set, but the Jags went on a 5-0 scoring run, highlighted by a pair of kills from Kelley Hartman, for a 5-2 advantage. GASO tied the match at 5-5 with a 3-0 run, but the Jags answered with a 3-0 run that featured two service aces from Hannah Harris and a solo block by Hartman, for an 8-5 lead. South Alabama used a 4-0 run later in the set, highlighted by a pair of kills and solo block by Iva Durdanovic and kill by Hannah Johnson, pushed the USA lead to 15-7. USA later earned set point at 24-21 on a kill by Hartman, and clinched the set 25-21 on a second straight kill from Hartman for a 1-0 lead in the match.
- South Alabama jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the opening set after a kill by Durdanovic, block-assist from Hartman and Meaghan Jones, solo block by Hartman and service ace by Ashlyn Roberts. The Eagles answered with a 3-0 scoring run later in the set to cut the USA advantage to 8-5. A Jaguar attack error cut the USA lead to 10-6, but South Alabama reeled off three straight points on kills by Durdanovic and Hartman and an Eagle attack error for a 13-6 lead. The Jags later earned set point at 24-13 on a kill by Durdanovic on an assist from Rachael DeMarcus, and clinched the set 25-15 on a kill by DeMarcus for a 2-0 lead in the match.
- USA held a one-point lead before going on a 3-0 run that featured kills by Durdanovic and Johnson, and a service ace from DeMarcus to take a 15-11 lead. A second 3-0 Jag run, highlighted by a kill from Lauren Hartman and service ace by Roberts, extended the USA lead to 19-15. The Jaguars earned match point at 24-21 on an Eagle attack error, and clinched the match 25-21 on a second consecutive Eagle error. 

NOTES
- Durdanovic recorded her second double-double in as many matches, finishing with a game-high 17 kills and 17 digs, along with one block.
- DeMarcus recorded her second double-double of the season, finishing with a game-high 36 assists and 13 digs, along with three kills and one service ace.
- Kelley Hartman posted 10 kills, two digs and four total blocks, while Lauren Hartman added seven kills and one block.
- South Alabama finished with seven service aces in the match, led by Hannah Harris who finished with four.

QUOTES
Head Coach Alexis Meeks-Rydell
- On the win:
''Yesterday we experienced heartbreak as a team, and when you experience that you have two options:  either play the 'poor us' game or learn from it and respond. We had a great team talk this morning about how we were feeling and how we needed to move forward. There was not a time tonight where I felt we didn't have control, and I was so confident in what we were doing on the court. The team re-took control of who we are as a program, and played unselfish volleyball tonight. I am very proud of our group."

UP NEXT
South Alabama will return to action Tue., Oct. 8, when it faces Southern Miss at 6 p.m. in Hattiesburg, Miss.

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.