09/25/05–
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SBC LEADER WESTERN KENTUCKY DEFEATS USA, 3-0
CONTACT:
Kevin Beasley
Box
Score
MOBILE,
Ala. – Sun
Belt Conference leader Western Kentucky took control of the match
early and went on to defeat the South Alabama volleyball team, 3-0
Sunday afternoon at Jag Gym.
South Alabama
(6-9, 0-2 SBC) grabbed a 2-0 lead in the opening game versus Western
Kentucky (15-1, 2-0 SBC) only to see the Hilltoppers go on a 20-4
run and take complete control of game one. The scoring spurt by
WKU was started with a Jenna Gideon kill, one of four for her in
the opening game. Western took a 1-0 match lead with the 30-9 victory,
marking the fewest points scored by the Jag women in a game this
season.
Game two didn't
get much better for South Alabama. The Jags managed to keep the
contest close early until with USA trailing by one at 7-6, Alli
Christian (WKU) ignited a 12-3 spurt for the Hilltoppers with a
kill off a Jag blocking error that pushed the margin out to 10 at
19-9. Western eventually went on to lead by as many as 14 and took
the game, 30-16.
The Jags, down
2-0 in the match, did not roll over in the third game. After Western
Kentucky led by as many as three on three occasions early, USA clawed
its way back and knotted the game up at 9-9 on a Whitney Sanders
service ace. The two clubs went back-and-forth for the next few
points until at 13-all, WKU's Jessie Wagner broke the tie and gave
the visitors the lead for good with a kill of her own. After eventually
trailing by as many as six (22-16) down the stretch, the Lady Jags
managed to rally and cut the margin to one at 24-23 on after a Wagner
attack error. That however was as close as USA got the rest of the
way and the 'Toppers held on for the 30-26 victory to take the match.
South Alabama
was led offensively by Brittany Blackwelder and Shannon VanAntwerp's
nine kills apiece. USA's Sanders was held to just two kills, her
lowest total of the season.
Western Kentucky
was paced by four players in the kill category. Leading the way
was Gideon with a match-high 13, followed by Wagner (12) and Christian
(10) and Megan Argabright (10).
The telling
stat of the match was in the attack percentage area. Western finished
the match with a blistering .426, while USA managed only to hit
.134.
South Alabama
will close out its four-match home stand next weekend when it takes
on North Texas on Friday at 7 p.m. and Denver on Saturday at 7 p.m.
at Jag Gym.
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