WKU (16-5, 5-1) had four players with at least six kills each and finished with 11 total team blocks. The Lady Toppers have won eight of their last nine matches without dropping a set in those victories.
"I think this whole day can be summed up as a team effort," WKU coach Travis Hudson said. "I was really proud of how our kids stuck together, and certainly we got good performances from a lot of places.
"Obviously, (the win) gives them reason to smile a little bit, which was nice. But first and foremost, the thing I would say about the match is that South Alabama is a much, much improved team. I don't think those scores are indicative at all of the competitive level at which they played."
It was WKU's 21st consecutive win against South Alabama (8-12, 3-2) dating back to 1996. The Jaguars were limited to a .062 hitting percentage and committed 23 attack errors.
Senior Emily Teegarden led the Lady Topper offensivee attack with nine kills. Sophomore Jordyn Skinner added eight kills and a .368 hitting percentage, while freshman Melanie Stutsman recorded seven kills and a team-high .462 hitting mark. Junior Lindsay Williams posted six kills.
Defensively, Skinner finished the night with a team-high 15 digs, one shy of her season high. Both sophomore Sarah Rogers and freshman Ashley Potts tallied nine digs. Junior Tiffany Elmore led the team with five blocks, including two solos, and Teegarden recorded four blocks, two of which were solo.
WKU took an early 9-3 lead in the first set. South Alabama closed within one, but the Lady Toppers used a 6-0 run to make it 21-14. WKU finished the set on back-to-back kills from Teegarden and Williams.
The two teams battled back and forth in the second set, which featured seven ties and three lead changes. South Alabama led 12-11 before WKU ran off five straight points to regain the lead for good. The Lady Toppers gradually pulled away from that point to take the set, 25-17.
In the third set, South Alabama jumped out to a 6-0 lead and led 11-7 before WKU scored six straight points to go up 13-11. The Lady Toppers led the rest of the way and closed out the set and the match by winning five straight points.
WKU returns to action Saturday against Troy at 3 p.m. at Sartain Hall in Troy, Ala.
"Our kids are drained, you know?" Hudson said. "They are drained emotionally and they are drained physically, and we are traveling through the night here tonight and then have to get up and jump right back out on the court tomorrow afternoon, and that is going to be a real challenge."
For complete results and a recap of Saturday's action, please visit WKUSports.com. Live stats will also be available on the site.
WKU-USA Box
