MOBILE, Ala. - South Alabama (15-3, 6-0) remains undefeated in conference play in 3-0 win over Arkansas State (11-7, 1-5). Niki Capizzi earned three blocks on the day, making her the eighth Jaguar to eclipse 300 career blocks.
The Jaguars got to work early, going on a 6-0 run to put the score 10-3 on an Anna Loberg ace and a pair of Maddie Soboleski kills. USA ended the set just as fast as they started it, using a Hannah Maddux ace, a Soboleski solo block, and a block by Kailey Keeble and Capizzi lifted the Jags along a 12-4 run and finalized the set at 25-12.
An early firing of three kills by Capizzi set off the Jaguar offense again, also assisted by two Lillie Simons kills. Some attack errors on Arkansas State increased the South lead to as much as seven until Capizzi spurred the final run of the set with another kill, then ending it herself with back-to-back service aces at 25-14.
A solo block by Simons opened the finale, but the Red Wolves responded by taking an early 5-1 lead. South responded with a six point run of its own featuring a Paige Lynn ace, an Abryanna Cannon-Capizzi block, and two Soboleski kills. The close lead remained intact throughout most of the set, as neither group was able to string together more than two or three points at a time, but when Arkansas State tied the game at 20, the Jaguars turned it on. Maddux and Keeble scored back to back kills leading up to the first Simons-Keeble block. Maddux hammered another kill to send it to match point, where Simons and Keeble again teamed up to end the game in three sets.
Soboleski led the team in kills with 13, also recording eight assists. Maddux finished with 10 kills, four digs, and a service ace. The team totaled seven aces, two each from Capizzi and Anna Loberg, and one each from Keeble, Lynn, and Maddux. Keeble finished with 23 assists, 10 digs, and four blocks while Lynn led the team in digs with 11.
NOTES
- South has now swept its opponents eight times, three of which during conference play.
- This is the first match of the season South has held its opponent to a negative hitting percentage.
- Arkansas State's eight kills/set today is tied for the lowest for a South Alabama opponent this season (Stetson).
QUOTES
Head Coach Jesse Ortiz
On the series against Arkansas State
"We learned a lot about them yesterday. They have a younger team, so I learned about a few of the players. I liked our adjustments today. I felt like the girls executed really well, I felt like we tightened up our defense and served pretty lights out, so it was good, I was proud of that."
On the team's defense this weekend
"Yesterday I thought we defended really well. We kept them pretty low, but I thought we weren't as crisp in terms of our technique and some of our decision-making as a group. We went over that today in our film sessions and I thought they were much more tightened up on it. Of course on the point of attack you gotta make sure you're making hitters work. We may not necessarily get all of these blocks, and I know we're among the leaders in the conference in blocks per set, but for us it's mostly make the hitters have to work and make their life tough every single night."
UP NEXT
South Alabama begins its four-game road stretch at Louisiana on Oct. 13, at 6 p.m., and Oct. 14, at 1 p.m.
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