MOBILE, Ala. – With less than three weeks before the official start of the 2025 campaign, Friday will mark the unofficial start of the season as South Alabama will hold its annual Red vs. Blue Match at Jag Gym. First serve is set for 6 p.m.

There will not be any video or live stats for the match, but fans can follow on social media @SouthAlabamaVB (X).

South Alabama – which went 15-12 and 11-5 in the Sun Belt a year ago – returns four starters, as well as starting libero Briana Wilson and 10 letterwinners from last season's team. Among the list or returnees are all-conference performers Anna Loberg (first team) and Sarah Gooch (second team). 

Loberg ranked second in the Sun Belt in assists (1,022) – which was eighth-most in a single season at South– and assists per set (10.12), and was twice named SBC Setter of the Week during the season. Gooch ranked second on the team in kills (288) and kills per set (2.85), points (329.5) and points per set (3.26) coming off the bench.

In her first season as the starting libero, Wilson ranked among the conference leaders in digs as she is fifth with 4.50 digs per set and 455 total digs, and had 24 matches of 10 or more digs, including eight of 20 or more.

Dalayla Blackwell blossomed into one of the top middle hitters and freshmen in the league as she recorded 120 kills (1.60 kps), while ranking third in the Sun Belt Conference with a .338 attack percentage. Blackwell also posted 64 total blocks – 15 solo and 49 assists – for an average of 0.82 per set.

The Jaguars also welcome seven new additions to the roster – two redshirts (Alexa Strandberg and Eva Dittmar) and five newcomers (Rachel Rossman, Cambria Gaier, Elyse Heffner, Halle Norvell and Marissa Taix).

The Red Team and Blue Team rosters are as follows:

RED TEAM
1 – Marissa Taix (Kenner, La.)
3 – Addison Hurst (Cleveland, Tenn.)
6 – Elyse Heffner (Traverse City, Mich.)
8 – Cambria Gaier (Caledonia, Mich.)
10 – Maradith O'Gorman (Lake Odessa, Mich.)
12 – Rachel Rossman (Crown Point, Ind.)
22 – Alexa Strandberg (Copley, Ohio)
23 – Megan Smith (Conway, Ark.)

BLUE TEAM
0 – Sarah Gooch (Apopka, Fla.)
4 – Eva Dittmar (Zanesville, Ohio)
5 – Emily Ready (Louisville, Ky.)
7 – Dalayla Blackwell (Lafayette, La.)
9 – Anna Loberg (Geneva, Ill.)
13 – Bri Wilson (Alabaster, Ala.)
15 – Halle Norvell (London, Ky.)
20 – Preslee Thompson (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Following the Red-Blue Match, South Alabama travel to Tallahassee, Fla., for its second exhibition match versus Florida State on Saturday, Aug. 23, before opening the season a week later with matches versus Baylor (Aug. 29) and LSU (Aug. 30) in Baton Rouge, La.

FOLLOW THE JAGS
For complete coverage of South Alabama Volleyball, follow the Jags on social media @SouthAlabamaVB (Twitter), /SouthAlabama (Facebook), @southalabamavb (Instagram) or visit the official home of South Alabama athletics at USAJaguars.com.