University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss
2-0,0-0Sun Belt
Jacksonville
2-1,0-0ASUN
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Miss. | 23 | 25 | 16 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
| Jacksonville | 25 | 20 | 25 | 20 | 10 | 2 |
Southern Miss Wins Five Set Thriller Over Jacksonville
8/29/2026 3:03:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Southern Miss (2-0) battled back from a pair of set deficits to earn a 3-2 victory over Jacksonville (1-1) Saturday afternoon at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
Sadie McAda led the Golden Eagles with 19 kills, while Diana Wells added 17 and Elly Stewart finished with 14. Aubrey Judd recorded 14 kills, while Allie Hazelwood totaled 58 assists in the five-set victory. Southern Miss hit .250 as a team and recorded 64 kills in the match.
The Golden Eagles found themselves in an early hole in the opening set as Jacksonville jumped out to a 9-4 advantage. Southern Miss battled back behind kills from Stewart and Wells, eventually evening the set at 12-12. A late push put the Golden Eagles in position to take the opening frame, but Jacksonville used a pair of successful challenges to swing the momentum and claim the set, 25-23.
Southern Miss responded in the second set after falling behind 7-2. The Golden Eagles steadily chipped away at the deficit before back-to-back kills from Wells helped put Southern Miss ahead 15-14. From there, the Golden Eagles continued to apply pressure, building a 22-16 advantage before closing out the set, 25-20.
Jacksonville answered in the third, using a 7-2 run midway through the set to take a 15-11 lead. The Dolphins maintained control down the stretch and took the frame 25-16 to move within one set of the match victory.
The Golden Eagles once again responded in the fourth. After the teams battled to an 8-8 tie, Southern Miss used a 7-3 run to take a 15-11 lead. Jacksonville pulled within three at 17-14, but the Golden Eagles continued to answer every Dolphin push. Southern Miss eventually closed the set 25-20 to force a decisive fifth set.
In the fifth, the Golden Eagles quickly established a 7-4 advantage behind kills from Stewart and Wells before Kaylee Lowther added a service ace to make it 8-5. Jacksonville battled back to tie the set at 9-9, but Southern Miss responded with three straight points to regain control. After Jacksonville pulled within two at 10-12, the Golden Eagles closed the match with three consecutive points, including a kill from Lillie Johnson, to secure the 15-10 victory.
Southern Miss will look to complete the sweep of the Gamecock Classic this evening when they face Jax State as 5:30 p.m. CT.
To keep up with the Golden Eagles, follow our Instagram (@southernmissvball), X (@southernmissvb), and Facebook (Southern Miss Volleyball).
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