University of South Alabama Athletics

MOBILE, Ala. | Sarah Gooch recorded her second career double-double with 14 kills and a career-high 14 digs, but it wasn't enough as Arkansas State picked up a 3-1 (28-26, 21-25, 25-16, 25-17) victory Saturday afternoon over South Alabama at First National Bank Arena.

Gooch was one of three players for South Alabama (7-11, 2-4 SBC) to finish the match in double figures as Eva Dittmar and Dalayla Blackwell had 12 and 11 kills, respectively, in the loss. Blackwell also finished with a match-best seven total blocks – two solo and five assists – as the Jags held a 12.0-4.0 advantage in the category.

Anabelle Cerny nearly recorded a double-double for the Jaguars as she ended the match with 33 assists and nine digs.

The duo of Devyn Lewis (20) and Addison Collum (18) led the Red Wolves (9-8, 5-1 SBC) offensively as they combined for 38 of the team's 69 kills. Adison Ozuna also ended the afternoon in double figures with 11 kills and a .625 attack percentage.

Mia Maloney led all players with 20 digs and three aces. 

Quotable – head coach Jesse Ortiz
- On the match: "I thought we started the match off pretty good. We had to fight ourselves back into extra points in the first set with an opportunity to win. We just didn't put it away. I liked how we played the second set; I thought we were in command most of the way. I was really looking toward us answering back. I love our fight and our tenacity. We just have to keep working. I like how we are progressing and we just have to keep working to get better."

How It Happened 
Set 1 – Arkansas State 28, South Alabama 26
•    KEY MOMENT: South Alabama held set point (26-25) coming out of an ASU time out, but committed its fourth serving error of the match, sparking a 3-0 spurt for the Red Wolves
•    Gooch came out on fire recording five of South's first six points – four kills and a solo block
•    South led 12-11 after a kill by Delaney Lawson, but ASU answered back with six of the next seven points to take a 17-13 lead after kills by Kaitlin Whitlock and Ozuna 
•    Coming out of a time out, South Alabama was able to pull back within one (17-16) after a kill by Blackwell, an ace by Addison Hurst and an ASU attack error 
•    The Jags again pulled within one (21-20) after a solo block by Blackwell, but another serving error – the third of the set for South – began a three-point run to put the Red Wolves at set point
•    Led by Gooch though, South Alabama was able to fight off four set points as the senior recorded three of the next five points for the Jags
•    On a free ball, Blackwell tipped home a kill to put the Jags at set point (26-25), but coming out of a time out, South committed both a serving error and an attack error before Whitlock posted a kill to seal the 28-26 win
•    Gooch was outstanding in the first set as she had seven kills on nine attacks for a blistering .778 percentage
•    South Alabama had 17 kills and hit .406 in the opening set, but committed four costly serving errors

Set 2 – South Alabama 25, Arkansas State 21
•    KEY MOMENT: After Arkansas State had cut the deficit to one (11-10), the Jags pushed across four of the next five points to regain the momentum for good and never trailed by less than two points the rest of the way 
•    Tied 8-8, South Alabama grabbed seven of the next 10 points to take a 15-11 lead at the media time out – the first time on the weekend that the Jags had led at the media
•    Freeman began the run with a solo block and Blackwell recorded a pair of block assists and a kill to put South up four
•    Leading by two (16-14), Dittmar ignited a 5-1 Jaguar run with a kill and Blackwell then capped off the run with a block assist and a kill to put South up by six (21-15)
•    ASU answered back with the next three points, but Gooch slammed home a kill and Cerny and Blackwell teamed up for another block
•    The Red Wolves continued to fight back and narrowed the Jaguar lead to 23-21 after a kill by Erin Madigan, but on the ensuing point, Arkansas State committed a serving error and Cerny then pushed over a kill for the set win (25-21)
•    The Jaguar defense posted eight total blocks – three solo and 10 assists – in the second set, while Blackwell had five of her own

Set 3 – Arkansas State 25, South Alabama 16
•    KEY MOMENT: With the Red Wolves holding a four-point lead, Collum took over and recorded seven of Arkansas State's next eight points to break the set open
•    Arkansas State took control of the third set right from the beginning, opening the set by taking six of the first seven points
•    Led by a pair of kills by Dittmar, South Alabama narrowed the deficit to one (6-5) after four unanswered points, but the Red Wolves reeled off three-straight points of their own – two kills by Lewis and an ace by Addison Collum
•    Holding a four-point lead (13-9), Collum took over for ASU, recording seven of the team's next points eight – six kills and an ace – to put the set away
•    Collum led the way for ASU with seven kills and no errors for a .438 hitting percentage, while Ozuna had six kills of her own and did not commit an attack error 
•    Lewis also had five kills and Arkansas State posted 19 kills in the set
•    After recording eight blocks in the previous set, South Alabama did not record a block in the third frame

Set 4 – Arkansas State 25, South Alabama 17
•    KEY MOMENT: Arkansas State opened the set up with the first five points and never allowed South Alabama to get any closer than one the rest of the set
•    The Red Wolves got off to another quick start in the fourth set with the first five points, highlighted by back-to-back aces by Mia Maloney
•    The Jaguars kept battling, pulling within one four different times over the next several points, cutting the deficit to 13-12 after an ASU attack error
•    Arkansas State closed strong, ending the match on a 6-2 run, two points coming of kills by Lewis – her sixth of the set

Post-Match Notes
•    The double-double for Gooch was her first of the season
•    Of Gooch's 667 career kills, all but seven have come at South Alabama
•    With her seven blocks, Blackwell is now just one block shy of 250 for her career 
•    Blackwell has had three or more total blocks 13 of her 18 matches
•    Cerny has had nine or more digs in 12 of her 18 matches this season
•    Hurst has had double-digit dig tallies in 13 of her 18 matches
•    Dittmar has recorded six or more kills in 12 of her last 14 matches

Up Next
•    South Alabama will now return home to host Louisiana in a two-match series beginning Friday night at 6 p.m. at Jag Gym.

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