Southern Miss Sweeps UTSA, Improves to 8-1 at Home

Friday, October 1

Hattiesburg, Miss.

6 p.m.

Southern Miss

UTSA

Southern Miss Sweeps UTSA, Improves to 8-1 at Home

10/1/2021 8:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Five Southern Miss attackers posted five or more kills as the Golden Eagles swept the UTSA Roadrunners on Friday night. Southern Miss improves to 9-8 and 1-2 in Conference USA play.

Mia Wesley led her team with 15 kills, while Kenzie Smith posted five kills with a .556 hitting percentage and 34 assists. Kinsley Hanback and Duquesne Moratzka combined for 17 kills while holding a hitting percentage above .380. Aliah Giroux recorded 15 of her team's 62 digs.

The Golden Eagles posted a .322 hitting percentage in Friday's win, besting the Roadrunners in straight sets for the first time in program history. Southern Miss also improves to 8-1 at home during the 2021 season.

Set One, Southern Miss 25, UTSA 13: The Golden Eagles hit at a .455 clip in the first set against UTSA, taking the frame by a dominant score of 25-13. Southern Miss was effective on both sides of the ball, posting 16 kills to the Roadrunners' eight, while the Golden Eagle defenders held UTSA to a .111 hitting percentage.

Cara Atkinson led the way for her team, posting four kills with a perfect hitting percentage in the opening set and Smith dished out 13 assists to her teammates As a unit, the Southern Miss backcourt racked up 22 digs to stymie the Roadrunners' attacks throughout the set.

Set Two, Southern Miss 25, UTSA 19: Using the momentum gained from the first set, Southern Miss battled past UTSA in the second frame, 25-19. Wesley racked up eight kills with a .500 hitting percentage to lead the Golden Eagles to a 2-0 lead over the Roadrunners.

UTSA was once again held under a .200, as the Golden Eagles handled the offense from the Roadrunners with 23 digs. Smith, Giroux, Moratzka and Lauren Talbert all posted five digs in the second frame.

Set Three, Southern Miss 26, UTSA 24: Southern Miss finished the sweep of the Roadrunners in the third set, taking the frame by a score of 26-24. The Golden Eagles held a better hitting percentage in the final set and took home their first C-USA victory of the 2021 season.

Hanback tallied five kills on eight total attempts to help lead her team to a 9-8 record. Wesley, Smith, Atkinson, and Moratzka also recorded multiple kills in the final frame, while Smith added 12 assists to her totals.

Up Next:
The Golden Eagles return to the Wellness Center tomorrow at noon for a rematch against the Roadrunners. Admission is free and fans can catch the action on ESPN+.

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