LITTLE ROCK – The Trojans got career highs in kills from
Edina Selimovic and
Marina Avram but it wasn't enough to defeat South Alabama at the Jack Stephens Center
on Saturday night.
South Alabama came from behind after losing two of the first three sets, earning a 3-2 (17-25, 25-13, 13-25, 25-23, 15-13) victory over the Trojans.
Little Rock (8-11, 4-5 Sun Belt Conference) got a team-high 20 kills from Selimovic while Avram added 15.
Carolee Dillard had 16 kills to her name, and
Miona Milovanovic scored 12 to be the team's fourth hitter in double digits for kills.
Priscila Almeida notched a team-high 23 digs,
Sydnee Martin tallied a career-high 18 digs and
Taylor Lindberg had a career high with 50 assists.
South Alabama started the fifth set with a 4-1 lead before Little Rock called its first timeout. Out of the timeout, the Trojans went on a 4-1 run of their own to tie the frame at 5-5. The Jags scored four straight points to force the Trojans' final timeout. Little Rock kept fighting and brought the score to within one at 12-11, 13-12 and 14-13, but the Trojans couldn't get over the hump in time as South Alabama took the set and match with a 15-13 win.
Ahead two sets to one, Little Rock pushed out to a 14-10 lead before South Alabama made a push for the lead. The Jaguars scored six consecutive points to take a 16-14 lead before a kill by Dillard stopped the run. Tied 18-18, South Alabama earned two straight points off a kill and ace by Mechell Daniel to out the Jags out front for the remainder of the frame. Down 24-21, kills from Dillard and Avram got the Trojans within a point at 24-23, but a final kill from Daniel put the set away.
Little Rock hit its highest mark of the night in the third frame as it tallied a .406 hitting percentage for the set compared to South Alabama's lowest mark of the night at .103. Tied 4-4 early, Little Rock scored five consecutive points to take a 9-4 lead. After this run, the Trojans led for the remainder of the set and cruised to a 25-13 win.
Before the Trojans easily won the third set, the Jaguars took a lopsided 25-13 win in the second frame. South Alabama led the frame from start to finish as Little Rock's offense hit a match-low .111 for the set. Despite the Trojans' poor hitting, Selimovic was able to put away six kills on 10 attempts for the frame.
Little Rock started the match with a 25-17. After a 5-5 tie to begin the set, the Trojans were in the driver's seat for the rest of the frame. At one point in the set, Little Rock held a nine-point lead at 22-13. South Alabama battled back to bring the frame to within six points at 22-16, but the Trojans finished off the frame with a 3-1 run.
Selimovic earned her second double-double of the season as she added a career-high 12 digs to her career-high 20 kills.
Veronica Marin had a team-high six blocks (one solo and five assisted) while Dillard tallied the second-most with five block assists.
Avram and Lindberg came up one dig shy of recording double-doubles with nine while
Kelsey Leech recorded eight.
Little Rock tallied its most aces in a match this season with 11. Selimovic and Martin earned three each while Almeida and Leech served up two apiece.
The Trojans are back in action at the Jack Stephens Center
on Friday for their annual Dig Pink match when Louisiana comes to town.
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