Dukes Outlast South Alabama, Advance to Sun Belt Championship

Saturday, November 22

Foley, Ala. | Foley Sports Tourism Center

6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT)

James Madison University

22-8,13-3Sun Belt

South Alabama

15-14,9-7Sun Belt

South Alabama

James Madison

Dukes Outlast South Alabama, Advance to Sun Belt Championship

11/23/2025 12:10:00 AM | Volleyball

Box Score

FOLEY, Ala. – James Madison volleyball fought off four match points in the fifth set, outlasting a hard charge from South Alabama to defeat the Jaguars, 25-21, 25-12, 21-25, 25-27, 21-19, on Saturday night at the Foley Sports Tourism Center in the Semifinals of the 2025 Sun Belt Championship.

After the Dukes took the first two sets, South Alabama rallied to take the third and fourth and force a decisive fifth set. The Jaguars took a 7-3 lead in the fifth, but an 11-3 run for JMU gave the Dukes a 14-11 lead. South Alabama scored four in a row to take a 15-14 lead, but the Dukes fought off four match points of their own and came away with the win.

JMU (22-8) will take on the No. 1 seed Arkansas State tomorrow at 5 p.m. ET (4 p.m. CT) for the Sun Belt Championship, its third appearance in the title match in four seasons since joining the league in 2022.

Kennedy Louisell had 24 kills to lead the JMU offense, while Ayen Nhial registered a career-high 12 kills while hitting .647 (12-1-17). Defensively, Anna Wilson led JMU with eight blocks while Nhial had seven.

Cambria Gaier led South Alabama with 20 kills, tallying a double-double with 10 digs. Eva Dittmar (14) and Maradith O'Gorman (12) also had double-digit kills.

How It Happened
First Set: James Madison 25-21

South Alabama used a 6-0 run to take a 12-10 lead and force a JMU timeout. The Jaguars pushed their lead to 17-11, but an 8-1 JMU run gave the Dukes a 19-18 lead on a kill from Wilson.
Five straight points from JMU gave the Dukes a set point, and Louisell finished off South Alabama in the first set to go ahead 1-0.

Second Set: James Madison 25-12

A 9-0 run for Julia McNeley at the service line gave the Dukes an early advantage, which included three aces.
South Alabama trimmed it to 20-7, but four straight points for JMU put the lead back at 13 (20-7), and the Dukes cruised to a 2-0 sets lead.

Third Set: South Alabama 25-21

South Alabama led 14-6 as JMU called a timeout. The Jaguars continued to lead, expanding the advantage to 23-13. The Dukes used an 8-1 run to trim the deficit to 24-21, but a solo block from Dalayla Blackwell gave the Jaguars the third.

Fourth Set: South Alabama 27-25

JMU led by as many as six (18-12), but South Alabama scored six points in a row to tie it at 18-18 on a Louisell error.
The Dukes regained a 24-23 lead on a South Alabama error, but the Jaguars closed out JMU in the fourth on a kill from Maradith O'Gorman and a block from O'Gorman and Blackwell.

Fifth Set: James Madison 21-19

South Alabama gained a 7-3 lead early in the fifth, but JMU used an 8-1 run to go ahead 10-8 and make the Jaguars call a timeout.
JMU led 14-11, but USA scored five in a row to go ahead 15-14. The Dukes fought off four match points and came away with the win on a solo block from Nhial.

Game Notes

In the ninth meeting between the two programs, JMU improved to 5-4 against South Alabama.
Today's appearance in the semifinals marked the 13^th time in 16 seasons under Coach Steinbrecher's 16 seasons. In those matches, JMU improved to 9-4.
Sunday's appearance in the Sun Belt Championship marks the third time in four seasons JMU has appeared in the title match. In Steinbrecher's tenure, it will be her ninth time in a finals match.
JMU held South Alabama to a .128 hitting percentage. In two matches of the Sun Belt Championship, the Dukes have held opponents to a combined .102 hitting percentage.
Ayen Nhial finished with a career-high 12 kills. In two matches of the conference tournament, Nhial has 13 kills and 23 blocks.
Jordan Smart finished with a double-double, recording a season-high 26 assists and 10 digs.
JMU improved to 7-3 in five-set matches this season.

Up Next
James Madison takes on the No. 1 seed in the west, Arkansas State, tomorrow afternoon in the Sun Belt Conference championship match at 5 p.m. ET (4 p.m. CT).