MOBILE, Ala. - South Alabama opened conference play in spectacular fashion sweeping Southern Miss at Jag Gym Thursday night.

Set one was in full control of the Jaguars from start to finish. Service aces by Paige Lynn and Anna Loberg early set the tone along with a pair of kills for Maddie Soboleski for an 8-2 Jaguar run. South kept rolling with another two Soboleski kills, two Hannah Maddux-Lillie Simons blocks, and a Kailey Keeble ace. Abryanna Cannon put down the set point and Simons finalized the set, 25-16.

Neither team drew a significant lead early in the second set. Simons stepped up at the net and recorded a solo block, before teaming up with Maddux for their third block together. Cannon then put down three kills in a row to tie the game at 19 before a pair of attacking errors left USM in the lead. The Jags stepped up to a set point off a Maddux solo block, but the Jags needed 26 points to take the second set.

The Jags again traded points early, but Maddux took over down 10-8 to send a kill before putting on a clinic at the service line. Maddux lined up two aces, slammed down another kill, then finished off her run with another ace. Both teams then went back to swapping points. Loberg recorded another ace for a 21-20 lead, but USM put the Jags on the ropes with a set point at 24-22. Soboleski and Maddux then traded kills for the final four points and the comeback set win to complete the sweep.

Maddux led the team with 15 kills, with Soboleski finishing with 11, and Cannon and Capizzi totaling nine. Kailey Keeble recorded her 45th double-double in her career with 38 assists and 10 digs, tying the South Alabama record. Lynn finished with 14 kills, followed by Loberg with 12, and Soboleski with 10. Simons tallied five total blocks, and Maddux totaled four, along with two from Cannon and one from Capizzi.

NOTES
- Soboleski's 28th career double-double tonight sets her alone at fourth all-time in career double-doubles.
- USM .180 hitting percentage is the 11th time USA has held their opponent under .200 this season.
- Maddux's 20.5 points marks the second time she's eclipsed 20 this season.

QUOTES
Head Coach Jesse Ortiz
On the first conference win
"Yeah we have a lot of respect for that team. Mia Wesley, number 23, is an outstanding player. We made sure we were working hard on her. This team has a lot of arm speed, they're really tenacious, and have good defense. I felt like as we were scrambling we didn't make a few of the plays, but I love how our team stayed focused, especially at the end of sets two and three, we just closed it out." 

Senior OH Hannah Maddux
On the team's performance in the match
"Yeah that game was definitely a grind. The key was just sticking with it. We made a lot of errors and us, as a team, we're not as satisfied with that match as we could have been, but just grinding through it and knowing at the end of the day, out offense, our defense, if we do our job, we're gonna get the point at the end of the day."

UP NEXT
South Alabama will conclude the Alabama Showdown and non-conference play against UAB on Sept. 16 at 3:30 p.m.

FOLLOW THE JAGS
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—USA—