MOBILE, Ala. - South Alabama (21-7,12-4) outlasts James Madison (19-8,12-4) in five sets for an instant classic.
The Jaguars engaged in an early give-and-take series with the Dukes, with six lead changes and 12 tied scores. Stout defense left both squads' hitting percentage to hover around .100 and put the pressure on making each others' offense. Late aces by JMU gave them the 22-21 advantage but South's offense broke through by way of
Abryanna Cannon,
Hannah Maddux, and two stellar kills from
Niki Capizzi that clinched the set, 26-24.
In the opening points of set two, a
Paige Lynn ace helped give the Jags the lead, but James Madison marched back into even points thanks to an ace of their own. A short four point run was enough of a platform to lead the Jags for most of the set. The Dukes held off South until the 20-point mark where a pair of
Maddie Soboleski kills built up a Jaguar run for a 21-20 lead. Both sides traded points until a JMU error gave South set point and a defiant
Lillie Simons-Cannon block gave the Jags the 25-23 set.
The opening of set three saw neither team pull away until Maddux struck an ace and Capizzi struck two kills for a narrow 17-14 lead. The Dukes rallied back and went point-for-point with the Jags through 26 until a service ace and a block gave the set to JMU, 28-26.
Set four saw James Madison send four aces in a row to blow open a lead and total six on the set. Jaguar production was minimal as the Dukes held onto the lead and finished the set at 25-18.
The final set was all Jaguars from start to finish. Maddux and Capizzi teamed up for a block to start the first point, then raced onwards to 10 in a 9-2 run bookended with a
Briana Wilson ace that left James Madison reeling. Maddux sent home the final two points for South Alabama and took the set 15-5.
Cannon led the Jags with 19 kills, and also had four digs and two blocks. Maddux finished with 17 kills, 14 digs, and five blocks, and an ace, while Soboleski recorded 16 kills, 19 digs, and one block.
Kailey Keeble tallied 56 assists, while also getting 20 digs, two kills, and a service ace. Lynn recorded 27 digs, five assists, and one ace.
NOTES
- Cannon's 19 kills, Keeble's 56 assists, and Lynn's 27 digs marks season highs for all three.
- The Jags' now have three wins when hitting sub-.200.
- This match is the first time this season that three different players have scored a double-double in the same match (Keeble, Maddux, Soboleski).
UP NEXT
The Jaguars will now turn their attention to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament which is from Nov. 15-19 in Foley, Ala.
FOLLOW THE JAGS
To stay up to date on everything South Alabama Volleyball, follow the Jags on Twitter (@SouthAlabamaVB), Facebook (SouthAlabamaAthletics), Instagram (SouthAlabamaVB), or visit the official home of South Alabama Athletics (
usajaguars.com).
