Jaguar Volleyball Falls In Five Sets To Texas State
The Jaguar Women’s Volleyball team fell to Texas State in five sets on Sunday even though Freshmen Jessica Lewis and Mechell Daniel both recorded double-double’s.
The Jags (7-12, 2-7 SBC) will return home to face Texas State (15-9, 5-4 SBC) again in Mobile on Friday night at 7pm in Jag Gym.
“Our team started off well and was prepared for today’s match,” USA Volleyball head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said. “The issue today was that we weren’t able to sustain that type of play for three complete sets. We were able to play two very good sets and had a hard time finding that third set. Texas State’s backs were against the wall and they were able to respond when they needed to.”
Lewis and Daniel both recorded 19 kills with Daniel tying a career best with 17 digs and Lewis setting a new career best with 15. This was the fifth double-double for Daniel this season while this was the first for Lewis. Kelley Little also set a new career-high with 17 digs while Abby Baker recorded a match-high 18 digs for the Jags.
The Jags also fell in three straight matches against Texas-Arlington on Friday night.
As mentioned above, the Jags will host Texas State on Friday at 7pm then they will host Louisiana-Lafayette on Sunday at 1pm in Jag Gym.
USA Volleyball’s Lewis Earn Freshman Of The Week Honor
Jessica Lewis earned her second Freshman of the Week honor this season. Photo by Brad Puckett | usajaguars.com
South Alabama Women’s Volleyball freshman Jessica Lewis earned her second Freshman of the Week honor and join last weeks Mechell Daniel to give the Jags back-to-back Freshman of the Week honors.
The Jags have had four honors this season as Lewis and Daniel have both been honored twice now. They mark the first time in program history that USA has had a player win a weekly honor four times from the conference in the same season and also the first time USA has had back-to-back weekly award winners.
Lewis, in her first weekend back in the starting lineup after an injury, was key in helping the Jags win back-to-back Sun Belt matches over the weekend. Over the weekend she had 26 kills for a 3.25 kills per set average while hitting .317. She averaged 3.44 points per set and had two blocks.
She ranks second on the team in kills with 3.0 per set in the 29 sets she had played.
The Jags will hit the road for a pair of Sun Belt road matches with Texas-Arlington on Friday night at 6:30pm and Texas State on Sunday at 1pm.
Congratulations Jessica! Go Jags!
USA Jaguar Volleyball Win Both Weekend Matches
The South Alabama volleyball team won back-to-back matches over the weekend, having to rally from behind both times to do so.
On Friday the Lady Jags traveled to Louisiana-Lafayette and earned their first SBC victory 3-1 (16-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-17). After her second conference freshman of the week honor, Mechell Daniel recorded her third-consecutive double-double.
They then returned to Mobile to host Georgia State on Saturday and rallied back from losing the first set to win the next three and take the a 3-1 win (22-25, 25-14, 25-22, 25-19).
Freshman Mechell Daniel earned her fourth-consecutive double-double with a team-high 16 kills and 17 digs. Sophomore setter Emily Hundt finished with 41 assists, three kills, four aces and three block assists. Jessica Lewis added 14 kills and a .333 hitting percentage. Symone Stephenson finished one kill short of a double-double.
The Jags improved their record to 7-10 overall and 2-5 in SBC play. They will be on the road for a pair of matches next weekend as they are scheduled to play SBC newcomers Texas-Arlington on Friday nigh and Texas State on Sunday.
USA Volleyball’s Daniel Earns Second Freshman Of The Week Honor
Freshman Mechell Daniel was named Sun Belt Freshman of the Week for the second time this season. Photo by Brad Puckett | usajaguars.com
South Alabama volleyball player Mechell Daniel earned her second Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Week honor on Tuesday.
This is the third honor for a Jaguar this fall and the ninth time overall that a Jaguar has earned a conference honor. Jessica Lewis was named the conference’s freshman of the week on September 6 and Daniel earned her first on September 16.
This is the first time that South Alabama’s Volleyball squad has earned a weekly award three times in a single season and Daniel is the first player in the program’s history to earn multiple player of the week honors.
Daniel is tied for second in the conference in points (4.32) and ranks third in both kills (3.73) and serving (0.32).
The Jags will travel to Louisiana-Lafayette on Friday to face the Ragin’ Cajuns at 6pm. They will then return home to host new SBC member Georgia State at 7pm on Saturday.
USA Volleyball Unable To Participate This Weekend
The University of South Alabama Athletic Department announced that the women’s volleyball team, who were scheduled to compete this weekend at the Razorback Invitational hosted by Arkansas, will be unable to compete. They cited widespread injury and illness throughout the team as the reason.
There is no makeup date for any of the matches versus Arkansas, Saint Louis or Kansas State were planned at the time of release.
The Lady Jags are 5-5 on the season and will open up Sun Belt Conference play next weekend will host Arkansas-Little Rock on Friday at 7pm and Western Kentucky on Saturday at 5pm in Jag Gym.
We hope the lady Jaguars recover quickly and are ready to go by next weekend. Go Jags!
Mechell Daniel Named Volleyball Freshman Of The Week
Freshman Mechell Daniel was named Sun Belt Freshman of the Week on Monday, September 16. Photo by Brad Puckett | usajaguars.com
South Alabama Jaguar volleyball player Mechell Daniel was named the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Week on Monday. She is the second Jaguar to be honored this season as fellow freshman Jessica Lewis was named Freshman of the Week during the first week of the season.
Daniel helped the Jags go 2-1 in the Hampton Inn Bama Bash.
Jags Volleyball Standout Olivia Mohler Turns Down Offers To Seek Pro Contract In Europe
Senior Olivia Mohler against Jackson State earlier in the season.
Former Jaguar volleyball standout, Olivia Mohler has reportedly been offered several opportunities as she approaches graduation. She has reportedly has offers from Ocean springs and St. Martin High Schools to take over their varsity Volleyball programs as head coach.
With one year of college eligibility remaining and not playing competitive basketball since high school, she has also reportedly received offers from the South Alabama Jaguar women’s basketball team to spend her final year of eligibility as a member of the team.
However, Mohler is continuing her dream to play volleyball and will travel to Maribor, Slovenia to participate in the Firesale and Exposure Camp at Maridor’s DRAS Center. She and other aspring professionals will compete in matches with numerous coaches and teams from across Eurpoe to showcase their talent.
Of the 28 players who attended last year, 22 of them were offered professional contracts.
She will leave on August 7 for camp and, if she gets a contract, it would mean she would be spending 7 to 9 months a year in Europe.
Mohler, a 6’2″ senior, seriously considered the offer to play collegiate basketball at South Alabama, but said that her heart is in volleyball.
Jaguar Nation will be supporting her all the way. Go get’em Olivia!!
Jaguar Volleyball Drops Set To FIU, Ends Season
Senior Olivia Mohler against Jackson State earlier in the season.
The South Alabama Jaguar Volleyball team ended their season Saturday night with a loss to Florida International. The Jags took a 2-0 set lead but saw the Panthers rally to capture the match 3-2 (25-17, 26-24, 19-25, 20-25, 13-15).
“The team that we put out on the floor tonight fought hard the whole match and that’s all we can ask for, but we have to get better as we move forward to next year,” Jaguar head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said. “Overall, I think we had some good leaps this season, but we definitely took some losses here in the last six matches. It’s going a big lesson learned for us going into the future. We have to work harder and get toughter.”
With the loss and missing the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, the Jags will say goodbye to five seniors. Olivia Mohler, Lindsay Schwartz, Katariina Kananen, Elina Strautniece and Valerie Podczasy.
“Olivia and Lindsay left it all out on the floor tonight and unfortunately we weren’t able to pull it out for them tonight,” Hendrichovsky said. “I appreciate their hard work and their effort tonight. I wish all five of our seniors the best as they move on to the next stage of their lives.”
The Jags were led offensively by a pair of seniors in Schwartz and Mohler. Schwartz led the team with 19 kills, a career high, on 34 attacks and committed just two attack errors for an even .500 hitting percentage in her final collegiate match. Mohler posted 16 kills on 36 attacks. She also led the team at the net with six total blocks, two solo and four assists.
Thank you Olivia, Lindsay, Katariina, Elina and Valerie! Jag Nation appreciates your hard work, determination and representation of the Jaguar volleyball program. We wish you the best in the future and always remember Jaguars are Jaguars for life.
Jags Volleyball Looks To Lock Up Tournament Bid This Weekend
South Alabama’s volleyball team is looking to secure a bid to the Sun Belt Conference tournament this weekend. They need a win over Florida Atlantic or Florida International to do so.
The Jags will travel to play FAU on Friday night then will travel to FIU for a match on Saturday. Both are set to start at 5:30pm.
“Florida Atlantic always plays hard and gives it their best, and I expect no different this weekend,” head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said. “Florida International has been putting up impressive blocking statistics against many opponents this season. For us to offset that, we’re going to have to be in system and continue to be aggressive. FIU is obviously going to get its blocks with it being their strength. We just have to stick to our strengths and keep our offense balanced.”
The Jags go into this final weekend with a 13-15 record (6-7 SBC) and on a four match losing streak.
Offensively, sophomore Melissa Waelter leads the way for the Jags. She is eighth in the Sun Belt with an average of 3.17 kills per set. She is also in a three-way tie for fourth in the conference in aces with 0.3 per match. She recorded 17 kills against MTSU on Friday night.
Savannah Stewart, a true freshman, leads the team in kills with 288 and ranks second on the team in kills per set with 2.72. She has also earned eight double-doubles this season.
The Jags are third in the conference in digs with 15.23 per match. Junior libero Jenna Hassell is seventh in the conference in digs with an average of 4 per match.
FAU is 6-18 on the season and 1-12 in the Sun Belt and have lost their last seven matches entering this week. They lost a straight set decision to FIU last weekend 3-0. They are 3-5 at home this season and have only one conference win against ULL back on October 5.
FIU is 8-17 on the season (5-8 SBC) coming off of their win over FAU last weekend. They have won three of their last five matches in a late push to try to earn a berth in the SBC Tournament.
Heading into this weekend they are seventh place in the conference and only needed a win in one of their two matches this weekend to lock up their bid to the tournament.
Jaguar Volleyball To Close Out Home Schedule This Weekend
South Alabama Volleyball will close out the home portion of their schedule this weekend when they welcome MTSU and #19th ranked Western Kentucky.
They will face the Blue Raiders at 7pm on Friday then Western Kentucky at noon on Sunday.
“This weekend we will face two teams with two different systems and strengths,” South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said. “Middle Tennessee is an aggressive and physical team that will run a fast offense and use their speed to earn points. Western Kentucky is a very disciplined team that is playing consistent and error free volleyball. For us to be successful, we will also look to be aggressive and focus on taking care of the ball on our side. I know our team will compete and look for them to play relaxed and enjoy being at home.”
The Jaguars will honor it’s five seniors, Katariina Kananen, Olivia Mohler, Elina Strautniece, Valerie Podczasy and Lindsay Schwartz.
The Jags will enter this weekend with a 13-13 overall record and 6-5 record in Sun Belt play. They are in a three way tie for the 4th best record in the conference with Arkansas State and North Texas. Currently the Jags would be a 6 seed due to tiebreakers.
Go Jags!!