MOBILE, Ala. – The ULM Warhawks ended their weekend road trip on Saturday with a 3-0 loss at South Alabama.
"The sooner we can string together the moments of greatness, the sooner we will be successful at the end of the match," head coach Charlie Olson said.
South Alabama (14-6, 5-1 Sun Belt) jumped out to a 3-0 lead to start set one, but a kill by Kate Blasingame gave the Warhawks (9-12, 0-6 Sun Belt) their first point of the set. Ina Gosen was able to tie the set up at four with an ace. However, South Alabama started to turn the momentum. ULM was able to get back in it and a kill by Emma Vann tied the set at seven.
The Jaguars went on a 7-1 scoring run with a Gosen kill the only point the Warhawks notched during that period. ULM attempted a comeback and a kill by Blasingame and an ace by Katie McKay started a 4-0 scoring run, but it wasn't enough as South Alabama took the first set, 25-19.
Blasingame, Kathryn Raschilla and Mikaela Worley all contributed early during the second set to start the Warhawks out with a 3-2 lead. However, South Alabama took control and scored five unanswered points before a block by Vann and Gosen brought ULM within two.
Worley nailed a kill and Blasingame gained an ace to give ULM the lead, 11-10. The two teams went on to trade points and another kill by Worley brought the Warhawks within one. The Jaguars went on to score four unanswered points before a Blasingame kill got ULM back on track, however, South Alabama kept control and won set two, 25-19.
"Our sights are still set on our greater goal which is to stay competitive," Olson said. "We must continue to remain focused and learn from our mistakes."
The Warhawks started set three with a bang and jumped out to a 6-1 lead. Back-to-back kills by Worley gave ULM an 8-3 lead. A block by Hailey Hughes and an ace by Madeline Hogan capped off a 5-0 scoring run for the Warhawks.
"We did some really good things this weekend, but couldn't walk away with a win," Olson said.
The Jaguars mounted a comeback and back-to-back service aces by South Alabama tied the set at 17. The Jaguars took the lead and a 9-2 scoring run effectively ended the game, giving South Alabama a 25-21 set three win.
"This conference is tough and there's no such thing as an easy win," Olson said.
The Warhawks will travel to Georgia for a 5:30 p.m. matchup on Thursday against Georgia Southern.
Links to live coverage, including video and stats, for Thursday's game against Georgia Southern can be found on the volleyball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com. Follow along with all things Warhawk Volleyball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @ULM_VB.
