TROY, Ala. — Texas-Arlington defeated South Alabama 3-0 on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Conference Championships, ending the Jaguars’ volleyball season. Set scores were 25-18, 25-23, 25-21.
The fourth-seeded Mavericks advance to the semifinals at 18-14. They will face eighth-seeded host Troy, which upset top-seeded Western Kentucky 3-0.
Turnaround Season
Fifth-seeded South Alabama finishes 14-15, its most wins since 1995. The Jaguars began conference play 0-5 and were 1-7 through their first eight Sun Belt matches before rallying to earn a place in the conference tournament under head coach Amy Hendrichovsky.
Freshmen Lead the Way
Mechell Daniel, the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, finishes her first season with 423 kills, the most by a South Alabama freshman and the sixth-highest single-season total in program history.
Jessica Lewis, a second-team All-Sun Belt pick, had 13 kills and nine digs, one dig short of her third double-double of the season. Freshman libero Abby Baker added 14 digs.
Hassell’s Career
Jenna Hassell, the only senior listed on the roster, missed the season with a knee injury. She ranks fourth on South Alabama’s career digs list with 1,242 and holds the program’s career record for digs per set at 3.76.
