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MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team defeated Troy in straight sets (25-12, 25-22, 25-21) Saturday at Jaguar Gym to capture the 2021 Sun Belt Conference East Division title.

South Alabama (20-6, 13-1 SBC) clinched the program's first-ever division championship with the win, and extended its win streak to eight games. The Jaguars also closed their home schedule with a perfect 10-0 record, and extended their home win streak to 13 matches dating back to last season.

GAME FACTS
Set 1
- South Alabama jumped out to a 4-0 lead after consecutive service aces by Madisen Werdell to open the match, followed by back-to-back kills by Hannah Maddux and Maddie Soboleski.
- USA used a 6-0 scoring run, highlighted by a kill and service ace by Niki Capizzi, a block-assist from Kailey Keeble and Kennedy Wallace and consecutive kills by Carissa Bradford, to take a 13-4 lead.
- South Alabama pushed its lead to 24-10 with a 7-0 scoring run that featured two service aces by Paige Lynn and a pair of block-assists from Capizzi and Soboleski. 
- USA earned set point at 24-10 on a block-assist by Capizzi and Soboleski, and clinched the set 25-12 on a kill by Soboleski to take a 1-0 lead in the match. 

Set 2
- A kill by Soboleski tied the score 1-1 before Troy went on a 3-0 run to build a 4-1 advantage.
- South Alabama tied the score 6-6 with a 4-0 scoring run that featured consecutive kills by Bradford.
- USA took a 13-12 lead on a service ace by Lynn.
- Troy took a 19-18 lead on a kill by Cheyenne Hayes before three consecutive kills by Maddux gave the Jags a 21-19 lead.
- USA used a 3-0 run to take a 24-20 lead, earning set point at 24-20 on a block-assist by Soboleski and Capizzi.
- The Jags clinched the set 25-22 on a Trojan service error to take a 2-0 lead in the match. 

Set 3
- USA took a 9-7 lead with a 3-0 run that included a block-assist by Maddux and Wallace, and a kill by Wallace.
- Troy tied the score 13-13 on a service ace by Halston Hillier, and took a 14-13 lead on a kill by Julia Brooks before a kill from Capizzi tied the score 14-14.
- Troy took a 17-15 lead on consecutive Jaguar attack errors.
- South Alabama tied the score 17-17 on a service ace by Alayna Maslinski, and took an 18-17 lead on a Trojan attack error.
- Troy used a 3-0 run to take a 20-18 lead, but kills by Bradford and Wallace tied the score at 21-21.
- USA took a 22-21 lead on a service ace by Werdell, and pushed its advantage to 23-21 on a Troy attack error.
- South Alabama earned match point at 24-21 on a service ace by Werdell, and clinched the set 25-21 on a second consecutive ace from Werdell to sweep the match.

NOTES
- South Alabama finished with 11 total blocks in three sets, led by Capizzi's career-high eight.
- The Jags posted a .295 team hitting percentage, aided by a .545 hitting percentage in set one and .314 percentage in set two.
- South Alabama earned its 20th win of the season with the victory, marking the first time a Jag team has won 20 games since the 2019 squad. It is also the seventh USA team in program history to win 20 or more games.
- USA's 13 Sun Belt wins are the most conference wins in a single season in the program's history, bettering the previous mark of 12 SBC wins set by the 2017 Jaguar squad.
- The Jaguars swept Troy for the second straight meeting.    
- The win marked the Jags seventh sweep at Jaguar Gym this season out of 10 home matches.
- South Alabama recorded 11 service aces, led by Werdell's career-high five aces.
- Bradford finished with a game-high 10 kills and added one block.
- Maddux recorded eight kills, .353 hitting percentage, two digs and four blocks.
- Soboleski also finished with eight kills, five digs, 13 serve receptions with a 1.000 reception percentage and three blocks.
- Lynn recorded three service aces, six digs, 10 serve receptions with a 1.000 reception percentage and six digs.
- Keeble finished with a game-high 36 assists, and also added five digs and three blocks.
- Rachel Hickey posted a game-high 12 digs along with one assist.

QUOTES
Head Coach Jesse Ortiz
- On clinching the Sun Belt Conference East Division title:
"Having a new group come in - we just had a lot of new faces, and everyone had to learn each other in a week-and-a-half to two weeks before we started our preseason. I think they have done a tremendous job of becoming a team. We're a family here, and it's awesome; it's an absolutely awesome thing. They pull for each other. It's just a bunch of sisters who get after each other like sisters usually do when they're competing against each other. And they are each other's biggest fans outside the white lines. I just think those things are our glue. I couldn't be more proud of my team today; they are awesome."

- On the keys in the win:
"They (Troy) started passing better, and we were just unloading on them in the serve. They made some good adjustments in their personnel. I told the group after the first set that it wasn't going to be easy; it wasn't going to be like it was the first time, they (Troy) were going to be formidable. This is a rival of ours and (Troy head coach) Josh (Lauer) does a great job over there. We just have to stay with it and do us, be as efficient as we can and make them earn every single point, and we did that."

- On approaching the final week of the regular season:
"We just want to be playing our best ball here at the end of the year, and I feel like we're growing in that both offensively and defensively. We've been a very good defensive team most of the year, but offensively we're climbing. (Kailey) Keeble is doing an unbelievable job distributing the ball to open hitters. I just want us to keep on getting better. The mission is not complete yet; seek and destroy, that's what we're telling them (team) every week. Next week it is Georgia State and Georgia Southern, and we're going to go after them and try to get those 'Ws' over there and seal it (overall conference championship)."

Middle Blocker Kennedy Wallace
- On clinching the Sun Belt Conference East Division title:
"It feels so good. I've never been in this position, but we just have to keep winning."

- On the keys to the win:
"Just our consistency in this match, we had great blocking and that took us over the top; we didn't let up on that."

- On finishing the regular season and moving into postseason:
"We just have to keep getting better at the things we have been improving on, and fix the things we have been struggling with – just keep the grind going."

UP NEXT
South Alabama will return to action Fri., Nov. 12, when it faces Georgia State in a Sun Belt Conference East Division match at 5:30 p.m. (CT) in Atlanta, Ga.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with USAJaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at Twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. 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.