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FOLEY, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team defeated ULM in straight sets (25-16, 25-18, 25-19) Thursday in the Sun Belt Conference Championship at the Foley Sports Tourism Complex.

USA (8-13) snapped a five-match losing skid with the win, which marked the program's first victory in the Sun Belt Tournament since 1995. South Alabama will face Texas State at 2:30 p.m. Friday in the tournament, with the winner advancing to Saturday's semifinal round. 

GAME FACTS
- South Alabama held a three-point lead at 11-8 in set one before going on a 5-0 scoring run, highlighted by three kills from Hannah Maddux, to double its lead at 16-8. The Jags later earned set point at 24-15 on a kill by Maddux, and clinched the set 25-16 on a Warhawk service error for a 1-0 lead in the match. 
- ULM held a 2-1 lead in set two before the Jaguars went on a 6-0 run, which featured a pair of service aces by Hannah Harris, for a 7-2 advantage. A 4-0 USA run that included a block-assist by Maddie Soboleski and Hannah Johnson gave the Jags a 13-5 lead. The Warhawks later used a 3-0 run to cut the Jaguar lead to 19-17. But a 4-0 Jag run, highlighted by a service ace from Meaghan Jones and block-assist by Soboleski and Johnson, pushed the USA lead to 23-17. South Alabama earned set point at 24-18 on a block-assist by Johnson and Harris, and clinched the set 25-18 on a kill by Rebecca Walk for a 2-0 lead in the match.
- ULM jumped out to a 5-2 lead in set three after a 4-0 run. The Jags used a 4-0 run that featured a pair of kills by Harris and one by Johnson to take an 8-7 lead. South Alabama pushed its lead to 11-8 with a 3-0 run that included a service ace by Rachel Hickey. USA then took an 18-13 lead with a 3-0 run that was capped by a service ace from Maddux. South Alabama later earned match point at 24-18 on a service ace by Harris, and clinched the set 25-19 on a kill by Morgan Stalcup to clinch the match 3-0. 

NOTES
- The win marked South Alabama's first in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament since defeating New Orleans in four sets at the 1995 Sun Belt Tournament in Jonesboro, Arkansas. 
- Maddux finished with a game-high 12 kills, .348 hitting percentage, one service ace and five digs.
- Soboleski recorded a game-high 33 assists, and added three kills, two service aces, seven digs and two block-assists.
- Hickey posted a game-high 14 digs, and also recorded two kills, four assists and one service ace.
- The Jaguars finished with a .385 team hitting percentage after a .448 percentage in set one, and .522 hitting percentage in the third set.
- Harris added three service aces, six kills, two assists, 10 digs and two block-assists.

QUOTES
Head Coach Alexis Meeks-Rydell
- On the win:
"This year has been a roller coaster from the beginning of spring when we first went into quarantine to now. Every single person in this program – from staff to players to personnel – has dealt with something during this time. And just getting through the season and trying to push and stay connected as a team has been a challenge, and that has been a challenge for everybody. To be on a five-game losing streak toward the end of the (regular) season is not what you hope for; you want to be peaking at this point in the season. We felt like we were, and then we had a really good week of practice on our off week. We felt really good about coming in here, and the team has been in great spirits since then. I think it meant more today than just snapping the five-game losing streak and getting the first (tournament) win in 25 years, it was more about putting the pieces back together after everything we've been through the past several months."

- On Friday's match with Texas State:
"We're excited about it. If we're going to get to the semifinal then I want to beat the best team we can beat, and Texas State is the best team we can beat. We're pumped about it. I think today was a good day to get the jitters out. We have a lot of young student-athletes who have never been in this position before, but I thought we played well today through those nerves with just the excitement of being at the conference tournament. And now we can really focus on Texas State tomorrow."
 
UP NEXT
South Alabama will return to action Fri., Nov. 20, when it faces Texas State in the Sun Belt Conference Championship at Foley Sports Tourism Complex in Foley, Ala. 

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.