South Alabama’s women’s volleyball team secured a 3-1 victory over Louisiana on Saturday at Earl K. Long Gym in Lafayette, earning a series split with the Ragin’ Cajuns. Dalayla Blackwell, playing in her hometown, led the Jaguars with 14 kills and nine total blocks while achieving a .545 hitting percentage. The win brings South Alabama’s record to 13-8 overall and 8-2 in Sun Belt Conference play.
Teammates Cambria Gaier and Maradith O’Gorman also contributed significantly, finishing with 13 and 12 kills respectively. Eva Dittmar, making her first career start, added nine kills. The Jaguars outperformed Louisiana in service aces, holding a 9-4 advantage.
Anna Loberg directed the offense for South Alabama with 43 assists and helped lead the team to 55 kills and a .241 hitting percentage. Brianna Wilson recorded her second consecutive match with at least 20 digs, totaling 21.
For Louisiana (12-8, 4-6 SBC), Cailin Demps and Grace Sweeney each had ten kills, with Sweeney adding 14 digs for a double-double performance.
Head coach Jesse Ortiz commented on the team’s performance: “I’m really proud of the girls today. They played hard and remained focused. We made some revisions in our game plan today, which I feel were really impactful. I’m proud of how we came out and executed. They showed a lot of grit and leadership. I’m really pleased with where we’re at as a team right now.”
The match saw South Alabama take early control in several sets but also withstand late rallies from Louisiana. In the opening set, Blackwell delivered key points to secure a narrow win for the Jaguars after Louisiana closed within one point late in the frame.
Louisiana responded by winning the second set after pulling away late following a tied score at 22-22. South Alabama then regained momentum in the third set behind strong offensive numbers—16 kills and a .379 hitting percentage—and closed out the fourth set despite pressure from Louisiana narrowing an eight-point deficit to three before Blackwell sealed the victory with back-to-back kills.
With this result, South Alabama maintains its lead in the SBC West Division. Gaier recorded nine of her thirteen kills over the final two sets and has reached double figures sixteen times this season. Blackwell marked her 250th career kill during this match and continues to be consistent offensively for South Alabama.
O’Gorman achieved her 650th career kill while surpassing two hundred career block assists during this contest as well.
Looking ahead, South Alabama will return home for a two-match Sun Belt Conference series against James Madison beginning Thursday at Jag Gym.
For further updates on South Alabama Volleyball, fans can follow @SouthAlabamaVB on Twitter or visit USAJaguars.com.
