University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss
8-11,4-3Sun Belt
South Alabama
9-8,5-2Sun Belt
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Alabama | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 3 |
| Southern Miss. | 18 | 23 | 26 | 22 | 1 |
Southern Miss Falls to South Alabama
10/17/2024 11:02:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Southern Miss volleyball dropped a four-set match to South Alabama Thursday evening at the Wellness Center, 18-25, 23-25, 26-24, 22-25. Despite a hard-fought defensive effort, Southern Miss couldn't complete the comeback, falling to 8-11 on the season and 4-3 in Sun Belt play.
The first set opens with South Alabama forcing on a 7-0 run. Southern Miss responded with blocks from Torrey Tkach and Francesca Panunzio, closing the gap to 7-6. Aysu Dalogullari's kill brought the Eagles within 11-9. The Jaguars responded with a 3-0 run to keep the lead at 14-11. After several Jaguar errors, Southern Miss earned points up to 14-13. The Golden Eagles tried to fight back with kills by Tkach and blocks assisted by Panunzio, but South Alabama kept the lead, finishing the set 25-18.
Southern Miss found its rhythm in the second set, led by Dalogullari's kills and Madison Baldridge's blocks. The teams battled through 10 ties, with the Eagles surging ahead 22-21 after a block by Panunzio. However, South Alabama rallied late with a pair of kills to edge out the win, 25-23.
Facing a must-win situation, Southern Miss came out strong. Kills from Sadie McAda and a service ace from Dalogullari fueled the team to a 9-5 lead. The Jaguars responded with offensive and defensive points, but the Golden Eagles answered with more kills by Baldridge. South Alabama fought back, tying the set at 24-24, but kills by Dalogullari and Tkach sealed the set for the Golden Eagles, 26-24.
The final set remained close, with both teams trading points, including an ace by Dalogullari and blocks by McAda and Baldridge. With the score tied at 16-16, Dalogullari and Tkach kept Southern Miss in contention with crucial kills and a service ace from Kaylee Lowther, but South Alabama closed out the match on a 9-6 run, clinching the 3-1 victory.
Dalogullari led Southern Miss with 18 kills, while Tkach added 10 kills and seven blocks. Panunzio dished out 40 assists and seven blocks, and Sunni Sheppard anchored the defense with 22 digs.
The Golden Eagles return tomorrow to play game two of the series against South Alabama on Friday, October 18 at the Wellness Center at 6 p.m.
To keep up with the Golden Eagles, follow @SouthernMissVB on Twitter (X), Instagram, and Facebook.
