Troy University Athletics
Trojans Fall To South Alabama
11/7/2008 6:00:00 AM | Volleyball
TROY, Ala. - In a match that was labeled "all or nothing" for both teams Friday night, the Trojans fell just short against South Alabama 3-2 at Trojan Arena in Sun Belt Conference action Friday night.
Troy (13-17, 4-11 Sun Belt) was led by Meghan Gilroy with 19 kills and Jean McCarthy with 10 kills in the 22-25, 25-20, 25-18, 18-25, 14-16 loss. Kerry Heinz and Aubre Smith ended the match with nine kills each in the loss, while Megan Henderson recorded 42 assists and 12 digs. Before leaving the match late, Emily Strader led the Trojans with 13 digs.
The Trojans will need some help to make the postseason, remaining a game behind Florida Atlantic and South Alabama for the eighth and final playoff spot. Florida Atlantic fell to Western Kentucky University in straight sets Friday night, so the Trojans must win their final two matches of the season on the road and get some help to qualify for the postseason.
South Alabama (11-12, 5-10 Sun Belt) took the early lead in the fifth and final set before Henderson tied the set at 1-1 with a dink over the net between three South Alabama defenders. South Alabama took a 2-1 lead on a kill from Brittany Blackwelder, before Henderson was able to outduel two Lady Jags' for the ball forcing an error by South Alabama to knot the set at 2-all. Gilroy continued to outduel the Lady Jags at the net as she battled two South Alabama players on two ocassions to give Troy a 3-2 advantage, and the Trojans were able to extend the lead to 4-2 in the final set on an attack error by the Lady Jags.
After South Alabama trimmed the lead to a single point, Henderson recorded a solo block and the Trojans forced an attack error by South Alabama for a 6-3 lead midway through the final set. After a timeout, the Lady Jags were able to beat the Troy defense to trim the lead to 6-4, until McCarthy recorded her 10th kill of the match off a block attempt to push the lead back to three at 7-4. The lead grew to four when freshman Brittany McClelland spiked the ball over a back defender for South Alabama. The two teams traded points until a service error by South Alabama gave Troy a 10-6 lead late in the set. The lead grew to six when the Lady Jags committed two more attack errors, but South Alabama was able to get back into the match with an attack error by the Trojans to trim the lead to 12-7. The lead was trimmed to 12-8 when a double touch was called on Troy, and the deficit was trimmed to three at 12-9 on an attack error by Troy.
After a timeout and a rousing rendition of "The Final Countdown", the homecoming crowd came to their feet and Gilroy responded for the Trojans with a monsterous kill down the middle for a 13-9 Troy lead. South Alabama stayed in the match with a kill, trimming the lead to 13-10. A kill from the Lady Jags' Hristina Markova trimmed the lead to 13-11, before a rally for the ages gave the Trojans a 14-11 lead and match point. Henderson was able to get the point for Troy after chasing down a loose ball. After that point, South Alabama trimmed the lead to 14-13, fighting off two match points and forcing a timeout by Troy. After the timeout, South Alabama's Brittany Blackwelder stepped to the service line with the crowd at its feet. Unfortunately for Troy, South Alabama was able to tie the match off a block attempt by Troy at 14-all.
A service ace by Blackwelder gave South Alabama match point at 15-14 before Markova was able give South Alabama a 16-14 victory in the fifth and final set.
But before the final heroics, the two teams battled throughout the first four sets of the match with each playing for the postseason dreams.
In the opening set of the match, the Trojans found themselves down 13-9 early until Sonny Kirkpatrick took a timeout in the match to settle his troops down. After the timeout, sophomore Megan Henderson made a diving save of an almost certain South Alabama point to trim the deficit to 15-10. After that point, the Lady Jags were able to open an 18-12 lead midway through the set and pushed the lead to seven at 19-12 on a kill that found the back corner of the Trojan defense.
McCarthy's thunderous kill trimmed the lead to 19-13, before an attack error by South Alabama trimmed the deficit to 19-14. The Lady Jags were able to push the lead back to 20-14, until Smith hit a thunderous kill right down the middle of the South Alabama defense to trim the deficit to 20-15. McClelland trimmed the deficit to four with a solo block, before a ball-handling error by South Alabama allowed the Trojans to get back into that match at 20-17.
After a timeout by South Alabama, the Lady Jags were able to find an opening in the Trojan defense and extend the lead back to four, 21-17. Hristina Markova found a opening on the left side of the court and dinked a kill over the net for a 22-17 South Alabama lead in the opening set. Just two points away from dropping the opening set, Smith recorded a kill which was followed by a tandem block by the senior and Gilroy to trim the lead to 23-19. The Lady Jags were able to get set point, but Troy kept battling getting back-to-back points to trim the deficit to 24-21. Still facing a set point, the Trojans battled to within two points before South Alabama was able to prevail in the opening set, 25-22.
After dropping the first set, the Trojans jumped to an early 5-0 lead on three kills from Gilroy before South Alabama was able to get on the board. After the Lady Jags trimmed the lead to as little as four midway through the set, Troy used a kill from Gilroy and a pair of attack errors by South Alabama to jump to a 17-10 advantage, the biggest lead of the night for either team. South Alabama trimmed the lead to five, but another thunderous kill by Gilroy pushed the lead back to six at 19-13. South Alabama climbed back into the set before Henderson recorded another kill in the match to push the lead to 20-15 and the two teams began trading points until South Alabama was able to trim the lead to 22-19. After a service error gave the Trojans set point, an attack error by the Lady Jags gave Troy a 25-20 set victory and sent the teams to the locker room tied at intermission.
The Trojans came out of the locker room on fire in the third set, going on a 6-2 run to take a 10-6 advantage. After South Alabama trimmed the lead to 10-9, Heinz started a 4-0 run with a kill to give Troy a 14-9 lead. The lead was pushed to 17-10 on a block from Gilroy and Henderson, before South Alabama trimmed the lead to 19-16. Gilroy recorded another kill, followed by an attack error by the Lady Jags for a 21-17 lead. After South Alabama trimmed the lead to three, Troy scored the final four points of the set for 25-18 set victory.
In the fourth set, South Alabama came out determined to send the match to five sets taking a 13-8 lead. Troy was able to tie the set at 13-all, with McClelland started a 5-0 run with kill. The run also featured a kill from Smith, two errors by South Alabama and a service ace from McCarthy. After the set was tied, South Alabama opened a four-point advantage at 19-15, and used the momentum to finish off the set at 25-18.
Prior to the match, the Trojans honored their five seniors playing their final home match of their careers. Molly Eubank, Jean McCarthy, Aubre Smith, Meghan Washlow and Jennifer White played their final home match at Trojan Arena Friday night; leaving behind them a legacy of rewriting the history books at the university and guiding the Trojans into the Sun Belt Conference.
Troy returns to action next weekend against Middle Tennessee on Friday night and Western Kentucky University on Saturday night - both matches on the road.
