MOBILE, Ala. (9/27/19) – Closing out the opening weekend of Sun Belt Conference play on Friday night, Arkansas State volleyball dropped a 3-1 decision at the hands of South Alabama at Jag Gym.

A-State (9-5, 0-2 SBC) got a second straight double-double out of Peyton Uhlenhake (16 kills, 10 digs), but the Jaguars (9-5, 1-0) showcased a potent attack that hit .338 as a team.

Uhlenhake led the Red Wolves with her 16 kills while also serving a pair of aces. Timber Terrell also factored in double-digit kills (13) to go along with a block. Julianna Cramer recorded her second 30-assist match of the year, handing out 30 – just one shy of her season and career best. Defensively, Hannah Cox led the Red Wolves with 11 digs while Madison Brown and Josie Stanford each recorded a pair of blocks.

Set 1 – South Alabama 25-21
Arkansas State got out to an early 3-2 lead, but USA countered with a 3-0 run to move ahead 5-3. The Jaguars would stretch that lead out to as much as four, but back-to-back Terrell kills cut the deficit to 12-10.

USA would pick up some momentum after an Arkansas State timeout and extend its lead out to 17-12. A-State would take its second timeout with the Jaguars leading 21-16 and would immediately get two more points back to trim the deficit to 21-18 on a kill by Macey Putt and ace by Cox. However, USA would hold off the Red Wolves for a tightly-contested 25-21 opening set decision.

Brown, Terrell and Uhlenhake paced the Red Wolves with four kills apiece in the opening set, while Cramer dished out 10 of A-State’s 17 assists in the frame.

Set 2 – A-State 25-22
The Red Wolves gained early momentum in the second set, mounting to a 3-1 lead on two kills by Terrell and one by Uhlenhake. A-State would hold onto that lead until a 3-0 run knotted up the set at 15-all. After USA tied up the set at 21-all, the Red Wolves would stave off the Jaguars by taking four of the last five points to even up the match at one set apiece.

Uhlenhake added five more kills in the set to lead the Red Wolves offensively, with Malgorzata Andersohn adding six assists to lead the team.

Set 3 – South Alabama 25-15
A-State once again claimed an early advantage in the third, but USA battled back with a 6-1 run to take the lead at 5-4 on a kill by Iva Durdanovic. The Jaguars continued to stretch that lead out to as much as 11, ultimately taking a 2-1 lead in the match with a 25-15 decision in the third set.

Uhlenhake tallied a team-high five kills to lead the Red Wolves while Putt added a solo block. Also on the offensive end, Cramer handed out six assists.

Set 4 – South Alabama 25-14
The Jaguars got off to a 4-2 lead before the Red Wolves knotted things up at 4-all and then again at 5-all. USA then went on an 8-1 run to stretch its lead out to 13-6. That lead would grow to as much as 14 when USA led 23-9. The Red Wolves would ultimately save four straight match points before a service error handed the set and match to the Jaguars.

Putt and Terrell each tallied four kills each to lead A-State with Cramer earning all nine assists for the Scarlet and Black.

Meaghan Jones led USA with a match-high 17 kills, while setter Rachael DeMarcus tallied a double-double with 35 assists and 12 digs.

Next Up

The Red Wolves return to the friendly confines of First National Bank Arena for a four-match home stand that begins Oct. 4 against Texas State. First serve is slated for 6:30 p.m.

Fans can follow the team on Twitter (@AStateVB) and Instagram (astatevb) along with liking the Arkansas State University Volleyball page on Facebook for the latest news and updates regarding the team.

Original article source: http://www.astateredwolves.com//ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7200&ATCLID=211812806 | Article may or may not reflect the views of KLEK 102.5 FM or The Voice of Arkansas Minority Advocacy Council