University of South Alabama Athletics

09/02/05– FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LADY JAGS IMPROVE TO 3-0 WITH A PAIR OF 3-0 VICTORIES OVER MURRAY STATE AND YOUNGSTOWN STATE
CONTACT: Kevin Beasley

Box Score One

Box Score Two

MURRAY, Ky. – The University of South Alabama captured a pair of 3-0 victories Friday at the Helping Hands Classic hosted by Murray State University held at Racer Arena.

"Today was definitely a unified team effort," said South Alabama women's volleyball head coach Nicole Keshock. "We were able to utilize everyone and that really made a difference for us. Jenna (Swilley) and Whitney (Sanders) had huge matches for us today. Jenna was a front row force for us both blocking and hitting. Our setters also did well in their ball handling today. One other thing that I found out about our team tonight was that we are a ball club that can adapt as match progresses."

MATCH ONE RECAP:

The Jag women (2-0) in game quickly jumped out to a 10-2 lead. Sophomore Jenna Swilley got the early ralley started with quick kill, one of her three for the game. USA's Whitney Sanders was the main weapon for the Jags in the opening game, recording seven kills. Youngstown State (2-2) battled back and got as close as five on four occasions before South Alabama was able to take game one 30-24.

Game two of the contest proved to be a much closer game. The two clubs swapped the opening points back and forth until USA opened up a 6-2 advantage. YSU continued to battle back and grabbed the lead back at 11-10. Once again the two teams exchanged the lead until at 15-all, South Alabama once again went on a scoring spurt to open a 21-15 lead. The Penguins again battled back to cut the lead to 25-24, but that was as close as YSU got the rest of the game as the Jaguars held on to win game two 30-27.

In the third and deciding game, Youngstown State held the advantage early in the match, scoring the first three points. The Jags battled back and grabbed the lead 5-4, until an Ebony Barbosa kill ignited a five point spurt that put the Penguins back out in front, 9-5. USA again rallied and answered right back with four unanswered points of its own to tie the game a 9-9. Trailing by two at 11-9, South Alabama took six of the next seven points to jump out to a 15-12 margin, before YSU again battled back and tied the game at 16-16. Swilley then gave USA the lead for good with a kill. South Alabama went on to take the game and the match 30-25.

Sanders and Swilley led USA in kills with 15 each, while Colleen Downey and Shannon VanAntwerp had a team-high 11 digs each. Sanders also had one solo block and seven block assists. Youngstown State was paced by Abby Ettenhofer's 13 kills. YSU's top offensive weapon entering the match, Jessica Fraley, was held to just two kills on the afternoon.

USA out-dug the Penguins 56-51, marking the first time YSU has recorded less digs than its opponents. South Alabama also out-blocked YSU, 12-4.

MATCH TWO RECAP:

Like in match one on the day, the Jag women (3-0) came out quickly again and grabbed a early commanding 13-5 lead over Murray State (0-2). The early scoring spurt was capped off by Sanders' ace that Heather Norris could not handle. South Alabama continued to dominated the gameleading by as many as 12 at 22-10. The Lady Racers could only get as close as nine the rest of the way before USA went on to take game one 30-19.

Murray State responded back in game two, as the two clubs exchanged the lead back-and-forth over the opening points of the contest. With the score tied a 6-6, red-shirt freshman Brittany Blackwelder recorded her second kill of the match to start an 11-3 run to push the Jag advantage to eight. The Racers did not quit as they battled back two on three occasions the rest of the way, before falling 30-25.

Game three began much like game two as both teams went back and forth grabbing the early lead. With the game tied at 11-all, the Jags reeled off six unanswered points to take the lead for good once again.

As she was in game one of the day, Swilley was the offensive weapon for the Jags against MSU, recording a season-high 16 kills. On the day, the Cantonment, Fla., native recorded 31 kills in 51 attempts, while committing just two attack errors. She finished with a hitting percentage of .583 in the night cap.

Murray State was paced by Katie Kemezys, who finished with 12 kills.

The Helping Hands Classic will continue on Saturday when South Alabama plays Youngstown State at 10 a.m., followed by Murray State at 1 p.m. and the Racers against Youngstown State at 4 p.m.