09/30/05–
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JAGS FALL 3-2 TO NORTH TEXAS; TAKE ON DENVER
ON SATURDAY
CONTACT:
Kevin Beasley
Box
Score
MOBILE,
Ala. – The
South Alabama women's volleyball team dropped a 3-2 decision in
Sun Belt conference action Friday night to North Texas at Jag Gym.
South
Alabama (6-10, 0-3 SBC) will take on Denver on Saturday night. First
serve is set for 7 p.m.
Game
one was a game of runs for both clubs. The Jags came out of the
gates and grabbed a 5-2 lead only to see North Texas (7-11, 1-0
SBC) make the first run of the game. Over the next 16 points, the
Lady Eagles outscored USA, 12-4 to grab a 14-9 advantage in the
game. USA was next to make a run, this one a 10-2 spurt that gave
the Jags a three point margin at 19-16 on a Brittany Blackwelder
kill. UNT once again responded with six of the next seven points
to hold a 22-20 lead. With the Lady Eagles holding game point at
29-27, the Lady Jags reeled of the final four points to take game
one, 31-29.
In
the second contest of the evening, North Texas controlled much of
the match as USA was only able to take one lead in the game, that
coming on the opening point. After UNT jumped out to a three point
advantage at 7-4, USA was only able to get as close as one the rest
of the way. North Texas led by as many as 10 on two occasions, before
taking the second game 30-21.
The
Jags battled back again in the third stanza, and took a 2-1 match
lead with a 30-26 victory. Tied up at two early on, South Alabama
took the lead for good on a Lady Eagle attack error. USA led by
as many as eight on multiple occasions, but North Texas continued
to claw its way back and eventually cut the deficit to one (25-24)
on a Brooke Engel kill. USA however managed to hold on for the four
point victory.
South
Alabama looked as if it were going to end the match quickly in the
fourth game, jumping out to an 11-4 lead. Erica Wendel (UNT) however
ignited a 15-4 Lady Eagle scoring spurt that gave North Texas a
19-15 advantage. USA was unable to mount any sort of comeback and
the Lady Eagles evened the match at 2-2 with the 30-19 win.
In
the fifth and deciding game, the two clubs battled to an 8-8 tie,
until after a UNT timeout, the Eagles reeled off the final seven
points to take the game and the match, 15-8. During the UNT run,
Katie Prokof put away three of her team-high 24 kills.
USA's
Via Filipe, making her return to the Jag line up, recorded her third
straight 20-kill match and fifth of the season with a match-high
25 kills. Whitney Sanders finished with 16 and Jenna Swilley had
13 kills of her own. Sanders also had 11 digs to give her her third
double-double of the season.
Following
Prokof for North Texas was Tara Hooser (19) and Engel and Wendell
with 10 kills each.
Denver
enters weekend play with a 6-5 record on the season and has not
played a conference match yet. They were originally scheduled to
open against New Orleans, but due to Hurricane Katrina, the Privateers
were forced to cancel their season. DU’s next opponent was
UL-Lafayette, but that match was postponed as well, this time due
to Hurricane Rita. Denver will face Troy on Friday night prior to
coming to Mobile. The match will be the first match for the Pioneers
since Sept. 17. Denver is led offensively by Lisa Hunter's 142 kills
on the season (3.46 per game). Kim Muller (3.11) and Amanda Millard
(3.17) are also averaging over three kills per contest.
The
meeting between South Alabama and Denver will be the 13th time on
Saturday. DU holds a dominant 11-1 lead in the all-time series.
Last season, the Lady Pioneers won 3-0 in Denver and in Mobile.
South Alabama’s lone victory against Denver came back during
the 2000 season when the Jags defeated the Pioneers 3-0 in Mobile.
After
this weekend's play, USA will head to Lafayette, La., to take on
Louisiana-Lafayette at 4 p.m. on Oct. 8.
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