Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama volleyball team defeated Nicholls State in straight sets (25-16, 25-23, 25-21) Saturday at Pete Mathews Coliseum to close the Jax State Invitational.

USA (6-3) posted a .273 team hitting percentage, and tallied 66 digs and eight total blocks defensively to improve to 3-1 in netural-site matches. The Jaguars improved their win streak against Nicholls State to six matches, dating back to 2012, with the victory.

GAME FACTS
- USA jumped out to a 3-0 lead on a kill by Maddie Soboleski and pair of kills from Hannah Maddux. A second 3-0 run that featured a kill by Soboleski and block-assist by Kennedy Wallace and Soboleski gave the Jags a 6-1 advantage.
- A 3-0 NSU run cut the Jaguar lead to 13-12, but the Jaguars used a 7-0 run, highlighted by two block-assist by Wallace and Kailey Keeble and a service ace from Paige Lynn, to take a 20-12 lead. 
- USA earned set point at 24-15 on a kill by Morgan Stalcup, and clinched the set 25-16 on a kill by Carissa Bradford to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
- Nicholls State held a 5-4 lead in set two before the Jaguars went on a 4-0 run that included kills by Wallace, Bradford and Keeble, and a service ace from Alayna Maslinski, for an 8-5 advantage.
- Consecutive kills by Bradford and Maddux gave USA a 17-12 lead. 
- NSU answered with a 3-0 scoring run to cut the Jaguar lead to 17-15, but a kill by Maddux and block-assist from Stalcup and Maddux pushed the USA advantage to 19-15.
- Back-to-back service aces from Nicholls' Devon Bright highlighted a 4-0 Colonel run that cut the Jaguar lead to 23-22. 
- USA earned set point at 24-22 on a kill by Wallace, and clinched the set 25-23 on a kill by Bradford to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
- The Jaguars clinched the match with a 25-21 win in set three to extend its win streak against Nicholls State to six matches.

NOTES
- Soboleski recorded her third consecutive double-double, finishing with 11 kills and 15 digs, and also posted a .300 hitting percentage, three assists and two block-assists.
- Bradford finished with a game-high 15 kills, along with a .297 hitting percentage and one dig.
- Keeble finished with a game-high 34 assists, eight digs, three block-assists and five kills.
- Rachel Hickey recorded a game-high 19 digs, and also added four assists.

QUOTES
Head Coach Jesse Ortiz
- On the win:
"I think we were definitely motivated. The best solvent for motivation after a loss is just getting another win. We came out and played pretty hard, and we felt good that we got (the win in) three (sets) in there. Nicholls is pretty good, very athletic and well-coached, so it was definitely a good win for our group."

- On the team's play at the tournament:
"We have been progressing really well, and I feel like we've been growing. We felt like Southern Miss was one of the tougher teams in there, Jacksonville State ending up being probably the toughest one we saw and Nicholls State is much more improved. Once we started watching and scouting the teams throughout the week, we realized this was going to be a tougher tournament. And just in terms of our group being able to be formidable against that, they've answered the call every single time. As much as we want the outcome of the Jacksonville State game to be different, we're just happy the team played hard. They continue to play hard and grow and we're getting stronger as a group, and that's the most encouraging part of the whole thing."

UP NEXT
South Alabama will return to action Sat., Sept. 18, when it faces Jackson State at 10 a.m. in Starkville, Miss. 

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.