Southern Miss volleyball (11-4, 3-1 Sun Belt) won a five-set match against Arkansas State last Saturday at the First National Bank Arena in 20-25, 25-21, 25-18, 10-25, 15-11, Jonesboro, Arkansas.
The Red Wolves started strong, emerging with a 17-12 lead in the first set. Southern Miss battled back, with key kills from Sadie McAda and Brynn Bokin closing the deficit to 21-19. Regardless of the late surge, Arkansas State held on to take the set 25-20.
The Lady Golden Eagles responded in the second set, tightening up defensively to restrict Arkansas to a .122 hitting percentage. Southern Miss also gained momentum, closing out the frame on a 6-2 run highlighted by back-to-back kills from McAda and an ace from Lillie Johnson, tying the match at 1-1 with a 25-21 win.
Southern Miss carried that momentum into the third set, opening with a dominant 7-1 run by strong serving from Gaby Zovko. Elly Stewart added crucial blocks, helping Southern Miss capture the set 25-18 and take a 2-1 lead.
Arkansas State fought back in the fourth, jumping out to an early 8-2 lead and maintaining control throughout the set. Arkansas State limited Southern Miss to just 10 points, forcing a fifth set.
In the last set, the Lady Golden Eagles surged ahead 6-3 after a McAda ace and a Botkin kill, prompting an Arkansas State timeout. Although Arkansas State closed the gap to 10-9, the Golden Eagles stayed afloat down the stretch. Stewart finished the match with a final kill to secure the 15-11 fifth-set win.
McAda led the Golden Eagles with a match-high of 21 kills and added 22 digs, showcasing her all-around impact. Bokin contributed a team-best three aces as well as 20 digs, while Zovko put up 42 assists on offense.
Southern Miss will be back at home, hosting Louisiana on October 10 and 11 at the Wellness Center in Hattiesburg.
