University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss
7-1,0-0Sun Belt
Southern
1-6,0-0SWAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern U. | 23 | 23 | 16 | 0 |
| Southern Miss. | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Volleyball Sweeps Southern Miss Invitational with Wins Over SU & JSU
9/12/2026 7:24:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss (8-1) closed out a perfect weekend at the Southern Miss Invitational, earning a pair of sweeps over Southern (1-6) and Jackson State (4-6) at the Wellness Center. The Golden Eagles opened the day with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-16) victory over the Lady Jaguars before completing the day with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-20) win over the Lady Tigers. With the two victories, Southern Miss improved to 8-1 on the season, marking its best start since opening the 2015 season 9-0.
Southern
Southern Miss opened the day by battling back from late deficits in each of the first two sets before pulling away in the third.
The Golden Eagles trailed 23-20 in the opening set before closing on a 5-0 run to steal the frame, 25-23. Elly Stewart sparked the comeback with a kill before delivering an ace to close out the set.
Southern Miss again found itself in a late hole in the second, trailing 23-18. Diana Wells helped lead the comeback, recording three kills and two blocks during a 7-0 Golden Eagle run to close the set and give Southern Miss a 2-0 lead.
The Golden Eagles controlled the third set from the outset, building a 15-5 advantage before cruising to a 25-16 victory. Southern Miss hit .265 in the final frame and finished the match with 40 kills, 34 assists and 10 aces.
Stewart led the Golden Eagles with eight kills, while Sadie McAda added seven kills. Allie Hazelwood recorded 31 assists in the victory. Tarah Yunes also made her first appearance of the season, recording two kills, including the match-winning kill to complete the sweep.
Jackson State
Stewart got the Golden Eagles off to a fast start in the opening set, recording four kills and an ace as Southern Miss built an early advantage. The Golden Eagles led 23-18 late before Jackson State trimmed the deficit to one, but Southern Miss closed the set with back-to-back points to take it, 25-23.
McAda took over in the second set, recording seven kills as Southern Miss hit .441 as a team. The Golden Eagles opened the frame on a 6-3 run and later used a 7-0 stretch to build an 18-10 advantage before taking the set, 25-19.
McAda continued her strong play in the third set, adding five more kills to finish with 14 kills on the night. She also collected 13 digs for her sixth double-double of the season. McAda hit .250 and totaled 16.5 points in the victory.
Southern Miss closed out the sweep behind a balanced attack, with Diana Wells contributing nine kills, Emily Davis adding eight and Stewart finishing with six. Hazelwood dished out 34 assists and added a kill, while Maggie Sewell recorded four kills in her first action of the season.
The Golden Eagles also saw several players make their first appearances of the season, including Sophie Sosa, Maggie Sewell, Ella Ward and Miranda Holincheck. Morgen Durgens recorded her first ace of the season, while Yunes added two kills for the second consecutive match.
Southern Miss finished the day with 84 kills, 74 assists and 16 aces across the two matches, earning its fifth and sixth consecutive victories while improving to 8-1 on the season.
Coming up next for Southern Miss, they will head to Memphis, Tenn. for Rumble at the Roane where they will take on Memphis on Thursday Sep. 17, before facing Little Rock on Friday Sep. 18.
To keep up with the Golden Eagles, follow our Instagram (@southernmissvball), X (@southernmissvb), and Facebook (Southern Miss Volleyball).
– #SMTTT –
