Volleyball Drops Senior Day Contest to South Alabama

Saturday, November 2

Harrisonburg, Va.

12 p.m.

James Madison University

10-12,5-7Sun Belt

South Alabama

14-8,10-2Sun Belt

South Alabama

James Madison

11/2/2024 4:36:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Brenya Reid racked up a career-high 30 kills, but James Madison volleyball dropped a tight contest to South Alabama 28-30, 25-15, 23-25, 24-26 on Saturday afternoon on Senior Day inside the Convocation Center.

South Alabama won its 10th straight match to improve to 14-8 and 10-2 in Sun Belt play, while JMU fell to 10-12 and 5-7 in conference matches.

Reid became the first player to record 30 kills in a single match since Miëtte Veldman also had 30 at Marshall on Nov. 4, 2022. She also tied a career-high 17 digs for her seventh double-double of the season. Veldman picked up 12 kills in the contest, while setter Rebecca Watkins had 27 assists and seven digs.

Sarah Gooch led the Jaguars with 22 kills, while Abryanna Cannon picked up a double-double with 18 kills and 10 digs. Anna Loberg had 55 assists, nine digs, and six kills.

How It Happened
First Set: South Alabama 30-28

A Jaguar service error gave JMU a slim 15-14 edge at the first media timeout.
Reid tallied a kill to give the Dukes a 22-20 lead, but USA battled back to tie the score at 23 and 24.
The teams traded points but South Alabama edged the Dukes in the first.

Second Set: James Madison 25-15

JMU jumped ahead 11-7 and forced a Jaguars timeout on a trio of Reid kills.
Madilyn O'Toole recorded an ace sandwiched between a kill and block from Watkins to give the Dukes a 23-14 lead.
The senior duo of Veldman and Annie Smith tallied kills to give JMU the victory in the second.

Third Set: South Alabama 25-23

South Alabama built a 17-12 lead, which forced a JMU timeout.
Consecutive blocks from Smith and Savanah Cockrill trimmed the Jaguars' lead to 18-15, but South Alabama responded with two straight to push the lead back to five (20-15).
An ace from Reid made the score 24-23, but Gooch picked up a kill to give the visitors a 2-1 set advantage.

Fourth Set: South Alabama 26-24

Julia McNeley picked up an ace to make the lead 10-8, but South Alabama used a 5-1 run to go ahead 15-13 at the media timeout.
A Reid kill trimmed the Jaguars lead to 23-21 but the visitors finished the set by scoring five of six points to take the set and match.

Match Notes

JMU honored six seniors: Jaydyn Clemmer, Emma Klanica, Miëtte Veldman, Savanah Cockrill, Annie Smith, and Madilyn O'Toole.
Reid finished with 58 kills in nine sets this weekend, good for an average of 6.44 per set.
Reid became the first JMU player to record 30 kills in a match since Veldman also had 30 at Marshall on Nov. 4, 2022.

Up Next
JMU ends the regular-season home schedule with two matches against Old Dominion on Nov. 7-8.