University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss Wins Opener at Magnolia Invitational
9/7/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
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Southern Miss Wins Opener at Magnolia Invitational
OXFORD, Miss. ? The Southern Miss volleyball team won its fourth consecutive match in its opener of the Magnolia Invitational, beating Tennessee-Martin in five games. Four Lady Eagles collected double-figure kills, with Kelly Tribble leading the pack with 26.
Bridget Files recorded 12 kills, and Lisa Downey and Melissa Shreve produced double-doubles. Downey finished with 11 kills and a team-best 18 digs, while Shreve added 11 kills and 14 digs.
Heather Kea led the Skyhawks with 18 kills and 16 digs. Three others collected double-figure kills, including Lindsey Stock (11), Stephanie Bauer (11) and Natalie Klevan (10).
Southern Miss (4-1) overcame a loss in the first game, as well as multiple deficits throughout the match. Both teams battled for the lead in every game, and only once did a team lead by more than 10.
Tribble collected three kills in game five to lead a solid team performance. Downey and Shreve each added two kills. Southern Miss went on 4-0 run, after facing an 8-8 tie, and never trailed again in the rubber game
UT Martin (3-3) took game four, 30-25, to tie up the match. The Skyhawks put up a solid front, collecting six blocks, and Kea led UTM with six kills.
Southern Miss gave a commanding performance in game three, going ahead in the match, 2-1, with a 30-24 win. With the score tied 8-8, the Lady Eagles pulled ahead of UT Martin, scoring six straight points. The Skyhawks never came closer than four points once USM got to the 20-mark.
Kelly Tribble dropped nine kills on the Skyhawks, as the senior recorded a .818 hitting percentage for the game. Lisa Downey collected a team-best five digs in the third game.
Game two featured a Southern Miss comeback, as the Lady Eagles trailed by 10 at 14-24, but produced 20-8 run to collect the win and knot the match, 1-1.
Tribble led USM with six kills, and Downey was the best Eagle defender with five digs.
Tennessee-Martin started the match with a win, 30-28. The Lady Eagles collected an early 2-0 lead off two aces by Bridget Files, but the Skyhawks took over quickly, going on an 8-0 run after USM?s first two serves.
Southern Miss trailed by seven, 23-16, before closing the gap with a 12-3 run. UTM scored the final four points to take the advantage in the first game.
Kelly and Nicki Tribble and Andrea Bush collected four kills to lead the Lady Eagles. Stephanie Bauer recorded three kills to lead UT Martin. Southern Miss committed 12 hitting errors in game one, while the Skyhawks made six.
The Lady Eagles face host Ole Miss in the final match of the evening, starting time at approximately 8 p.m. On Saturday, Southern Miss faces Samford at 10 a.m., and Arkansas State at 5 p.m.
