Alabama
Southern Miss
Alabama Volleyball Splits Saturday Matches to Close Jaguar Invitational
9/2/2017 7:05:00 PM | Volleyball
MOBILE, Ala. – Alabama volleyball closed its weekend at the Jaguar Invitational Saturday, splitting a pair of matches with a 3-0 loss to Southern Miss and a 3-2 win over McNeese State.
Alabama (4-2) dropped its opening match of the day to Southern Miss (6-1) in straight sets before rebounding with a hard-fought win over McNeese State (2-4) in five sets. Jennifer Casillas led the Crimson Tide offense with 20 kills on the day with Hayley McSparin and Christine Jarman close behind with 19 and 18, respectively. Quincey Gary totaled 39 digs as the libero, including a 30-dig performance against the Cowgirls in the finale.
MATCH ONE: SOUTHERN MISS 3, ALABAMA 0
After a gutsy performance in last night's match, the Tide struggled in Saturday morning's opener against the Golden Eagles, falling in straight sets by scores of 23-25, 13-25 and 15-25. Alabama was limited to a .063 hitting percentage while Southern Miss finished at a .337 clip and the Golden Eagles out-blocked the Tide 8-4 up front. Casillas led the team with eight kills.
Alabama fought from behind for the majority of the first half of set one, tying the score seven times but only taking the lead once. Neither team was able to build a lead larger than two points until Southern Miss scored three-straight points to pull ahead 17-13 and Alabama took a timeout. The Golden Eagles continued to extend its lead and the Crimson Tide burned its second timeout five points later, trailing 21-14. Alabama fought to cut the deficit to four points, trailing 22-18 as Southern Miss took its first timeout and the Golden Eagles took its second timeout soon thereafter with its lead now cut to just one point, 23-22. Southern Miss would hang on to win set one, 25-23.
The teams traded points evenly again to start set two before a 7-1 run by Southern Miss gave the Golden Eagles an 11-6 lead and Alabama took a timeout. The Golden Eagles led by eight at the Tide's second timeout, 16-8, and maintained a commanding lead to close the set, eventually winning 25-13 to take a 2-0 match lead.
Alabama scored the first point in the third set but Southern Miss held the advantage in the early stages of set three, leading 12-7 before Alabama called its first timeout. Later still up by five points, a service ace by the Golden Eagles made it 18-12 and the Tide had to take its final timeout. Southern Miss kept the pressure on down the stretch, winning 25-15 to complete the sweep.
MATCH TWO: ALABAMA 3, MCNEESE STATE 2
Alabama closed its weekend at the Jaguar Invitational with a hard-fought five set victory over McNeese State, defeating the Cowgirls 3-2 by set scores of 22-25, 25-14, 28-26, 14-25 and 15-9. Alabama had four players in double-digit kills, led by Jarman and McSparin with 13 each. Jarman added 16 digs for her second double-double of the weekend and Meghan Neelon also earned a double-double with 54 assists and 18 digs. Following a 31-dig performance yesterday, Gary added 30 more in Saturday's win.
The teams were evenly-matched opening set one, with three tie scores before the teams were again knotted up at 8-8. McNeese State scored three unanswered to pull ahead 11-8 and briefly maintained its slim lead until Alabama fought back to tie it at 15-15. The teams were tied again at 18-18 and 19-19 but the Cowgirls surged ahead in the closing stages, winning 25-22.
Tied at 3-3 in set two, Alabama scored four-straight points to take a 7-3 lead. A tip-over kill by Neelon gave the Tide an 11-6 lead before the Cowgirls called its first timeout of the set. McNeese State scored one point after the break but Alabama responded with six unanswered to push its lead to double digits, 17-7, and the Cowgirls called its final timeout. Alabama kept McNeese State at arm's distance for the remainder of the frame, eventually winning 25-14 to even the match at 1-1.
The momentum carried into set three, with Alabama scoring six unanswered points to start the frame. The lead was cut in half by the halfway mark but the Tide was still out in front, 13-10. McNeese State fought back to tie it at 17-17 and Alabama had to regroup with its first timeout of the set. With the Tide leading 19-18, the Cowgirls rattled off three-straight points to pull ahead 21-19 and Alabama called its second timeout. McNeese State reached set point, 24-22, but a kill and block by Hayley McSparin tied it back up at 24-24 before the Cowgirls took a timeout. The score would be tied two more times down the stretch before a kill by Leah Lawrence gave Alabama the 28-26 comeback victory to take a 2-1 match lead.
McNeese State took an early 6-1 lead in set four, forcing Alabama to burn its first timeout and the Tide spent its second shortly thereafter, trailing 11-3. The Cowgirls led by seven at the 20-point mark, 20-13, and won by 11 points, 25-14, to force a deciding fifth set.
The fifth set was a nail-biter from the start, with neither team able to pull ahead further than two points. Alabama led 8-7 at the mid-set switch and back-to-back blocks by Christine Jarman pushed the lead to 10-7 as McNeese State took a timeout. Leading 12-9, Alabama closed out the set with three-straight points to win, 15-9, and claim the five-set victory.
Alabama makes its 2017 home debut next weekend, hosting the Hampton Inn Bama Bash at Foster Auditorium. The Tide opens against Tennessee State and Hofstra on Friday, Sept. 8 at 10 a.m. CT and 7:30 p.m. CT, respectively, before concluding against Furman on Saturday, Sept. 9 at noon.
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