History was made on Tuesday night during the Southern Miss volleyball team’s non-conference matchup against Alabama State, as senior Sarah Bell became Southern Miss’ all-time leader in assists. It was her 13th assist against Alabama State that gave her 4,757 career assists, breaking the record of 4,756 assists that was set by Crystal Zane in 2002.
“It was a great night for Sarah Bell and Southern Miss Volleyball,” Southern Miss Head Coach Stephanie Radecki said. “I am so proud of her and her teammates for earning this achievement. Sarah has left her mark on this program and certainly isn’t done yet. She is a great player, a talented setter, and a strong leader.
In the opening set, The Golden Eagles got off to a 5-3 lead that came as a result of three assists from Bell. After that, Southern Miss gained separation and led 10-4 shortly after. Set one ended with Southern Miss defeating Alabama State 25-14 as sophomore Chandler Marshall tacked on five kills.
Southern Miss took off once again in set two with a score of 18-9 and ended that set with a 25-15 win. But, Alabama State managed to tie the game in the third set with a score of 27-27, and later won the set 30-28 to force a fourth set.
During the fourth set, Alabama State grabbed another lead, but the Golden Eagles quickly turned that around and took a lead of 11-9. Southern Miss finished off the game in set four with a 25-19 win and a final score of 3-1. Bell finished her historic night with 43 assists, while also adding 15 digs and two blocks to her stat line. Marshall led the team with 14 kills over the four sets, and the team had a hitting percentage of .252 percent, compared to Alabama State’s .094 hitting percentage.
Bell talked about the support she has received during her career and leading up to the record.
“It’s a huge accomplishment,” Bell said. “It means a lot to me, but what means the most is how supportive my teammates (past and present), coaches, family, and friends have been throughout my journey.”
With the win, Southern Miss moves to 11-10 overall on the season. The Golden Eagles are set to take on Florida Atlantic on October 19 in what will be a C-USA match up.
