Sept. 19, 2008

Box Score

MOBILE, Ala. - In the Colonels' first match of the Jaguar Classic, host team South Alabama defeated Nicholls 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-17) Friday evening in Jaguar Gym. The Colonels fall to 1-7 on the season, while the Jaguars improve to 4-2.

"We got outplayed tonight and I don't think it was because we were underprepared," said head coach Chris Laird. "I'm a little disappointed that we gave up on ourselves too easily. South Alabama did a great job. They had us scouted well and took away our tendencies."

Junior Rachel Spreen (Houston, Texas/Bellaire) led the way for Nicholls, posting a team-high nine kills and was one of three Colonels to tally five digs. Freshmen Rachel Yezak (Napoleonville, La./Ascension Catholic) and Danielle Daigle (Napoleonville, La./Assumption) each recorded eight digs, while junior Manieka Golden (Porter, Texas/Galveston CC) and senior Chelsey Adams (Gulf Breeze, Fla./Pensacola JC) tallied seven and six kills, respectively. Junior Amy Whitehead dished out 27 assists on the night.

Nicholls was in control for most of the first set, leading by as many as three points before the Jags were forced to call a timeout with the Colonels ahead 14-11. South Alabama rallied, using a 5-1 scoring drive to take a 16-15 lead. The squads traded the lead back and forth until USA captured the win 25-23, scoring four points to Nicholls' two to break a 21-21 stalemate.

"We were in the first match and we were up until about 22-21, and when it gets tough, we sink back into our shell and can't push," Laird noted. "That's something we've always been working on and will continue to work on."

Spreen had five kills to lead Nicholls, hitting .500 in the frame, while Whitehead handed out 11 assists. Yezak posted six digs and Daigle tallied five for the Colonels.

In the second stanza, Nicholls flirted with the lead, tying the score at 13-all but never taking control. South Alabama closed out the set with four-straight points, winning 25-20 and taking a 2-0 match lead.

Yezak and Spreen added three kills each, while Golden and Daigle each contributed three digs on defense. Whitehead reached double digits again, logging 10 assists in the set.

South Alabama controlled the final frame, allowing the Colonels a 4-4 tie early, but leading by as many as nine points through most of the set. The Jags wrapped up the victory 25-17, finishing the game on a 3-0 run.

"The second set was frustrating because we never really got into it," added Laird," and in the third set I think we had just decided that we couldn't play and we were done. I'm disappointed that our girls didn't have any more fight in them."

Adams and Amy Beshir (Huntsville, Ala./Huntsville) each posted two kills to lead the Colonels in the final set, while no Nicholls player had more than one dig.

"Our ball control was not as good as it should have been. We spend too much time on ball control for it to be like it was tonight," said Laird. "I really felt like we should have given a better effort over three sets instead of just the one. We'll have to go back to the drawing board and do a better job tomorrow."

The Colonels will return to the court Saturday, facing Jackson State at 2 p.m. Earlier in the day, Jackson State fell 3-2 (25-18, 19-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-9) to Southeastern Louisiana.

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