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FOLEY, Ala. – South Alabama and Texas State will meet on Sunday for the Sun Belt Volleyball Tournament Championship. The match is slated for a 1 p.m. CT start at the Foley Event Center and will be broadcast on ESPN+. An automatic berth to the NCAA Championships is on the line.
South Alabama (24-6) claimed its first-ever Sun Belt regular-season championship in 2021 under the direction of first-year head coach Jesse Ortiz, the 2021 Sun Belt Coach of the Year. The Jaguars, the No. 1 seed in the West, advanced by defeating UTA, 3-1 on Saturday. South Alabama will be playing for its first-ever Sun Belt Volleyball Tournament Championship.
Texas State (20-11) is the No. 1 seed from the East and will be vying for its fourth consecutive Sun Belt Volleyball Tournament Title. The Bobcats have won the event four times in their history (2013, 2018, 2019, 2020). They advanced to Sunday’s Championship with a 3-0 win against Coastal Carolina on Saturday. Texas State is an impressive 18-4 all-time in the Sun Belt Tournament and boasts an active 10-match win streak in the event.
Both South Alabama and Texas State rank among the top-65 teams nationally in RPI. In the latest RPI, announced on November 14, the Jaguars rated 58th, while the Bobcats were 62nd.
The two teams met once during the 2021 regular season, a 3-0 win by South Alabama on September 25 in Mobile.
All tickets are general admission and are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. Students of Sun Belt Conference institutions can show a valid student ID to receive free admission.
Match 9: (1E) South Alabama 3, (2W) UTA 1 (22-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-8)
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Photo Gallery
South Alabama overcame a first-set loss to defeat UTA, 3-1 (22-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-8), on Saturday.
Niki Capizzi charted a match-high 13 kills on .417 while also recording seven blocks. Kailey Keeble registered a double-double with a match-high 51 assists and 14 digs, while Rachel Hickey came up with a match-high 22 digs. Carissa Bradford (12), Maddie Soboleski (12) and Hannah Maddux (11) all reached double figures in kills.
The Jaguars out-blocked the Mavs, 14-8, and held a 59-46 advantage in digs. South Alabama hit .307 as a team, while UTA hit .114.
UTA (12-15) was led by Brooke Townsend’s 10 kills, while Briana Brown and Brianna Ford each totaled nine put-downs. Alli Wells scooped 15 digs and Mollie Blank dished out 24 assists.
Match 10: (1W) Texas State 3, (2E) Coastal Carolina 0 (25-22, 25-16, 26-24)
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Photo Gallery
Jada Gardner recorded a match-high 15 kills and Caitlan Buettner added 13 as Texas State swept Coastal Carolina, 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 26-24), on Saturday.
Texas State hit .283 in the match and limited Coastal Carolina to .103 hitting. The Bobcats held a sizable 45-26 advantage in digs, while the Chanticleers had a 10-9 edge in blocks.
Gardner’s 15 kills came on .385 hitting with seven digs, while Buettner hit .478 and added three blocks. Tyranee Scott had a match-high five blocks to complement seven kills. Emily DeWalt dished out a match-best 36 assists, while Kayla Granado had 10 digs, which tied for the match-high.
Coastal Carolina (19-9) was led by Ani Bozdeva’s team-high eight kills. Brigitta Petrenko dished out 13 assists with two service aces, while Marija Borcic had 12 assists and a dig. Doris Carter totaled a team-high 10 digs, which tied for the match high.
2021 Sun Belt Volleyball Tournament (Foley, Ala.)
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Match 1 - (3E) Georgia Southern 3, (6W) ULM 1
Match 2 - (5E) Georgia State 3, (4W) Arkansas State 1
Match 3 - (3W) Louisiana 3, (6E) App State 0
Match 4 - (4E) Troy 3, (5W) Little Rock 1
Friday, November 19, 2021
Match 5 – (2W) UTA 3, (3E) Georgia Southern 2
Match 6 – (1E) South Alabama 3, (5E) Georgia State 0
Match 7 – (2E) Coastal Carolina 3, (3W) Louisiana 0
Match 8 – (1W) Texas State 3, (4E) Troy 0
Saturday, November 20, 2021
Match 9 – (1E) South Alabama 3, (2W) UTA 1
Match 10 – (1W) Texas State 3, (2E) Coastal Carolina 0
Sunday, November 21, 2021 (Championship)
Match 11 – (1E) South Alabama vs. (1W) Texas State – 1 p.m. CT
All-Time Sun Belt Volleyball Tournament Champions
1983 - Jacksonville
1984 - VCU
1985 - VCU
1986 - South Florida
1987 - South Florida
1988 - South Florida
1989 - South Florida
1990 - UAB
1991 - Arkansas State
1992 - Arkansas State
1993 - Lamar
1994 - Arkansas State
1995 - Arkansas State
1996 - Little Rock
1997 - Little Rock
1998 - Little Rock
1999 - Arkansas State
2000 - Little Rock
2001 - FIU
2002 - Western Kentucky
2003 - New Mexico State
2004 - New Mexico State
2005 - Western Kentucky
2006 - Middle Tennessee
2007 - Middle Tennessee
2008 - Western Kentucky
2009 - Middle Tennessee
2010 - Middle Tennessee
2011 - Western Kentucky
2012 - Western Kentucky
2013 - Texas State
2014 - Little Rock
2015 - Arkansas State
2016 - Coastal Carolina
2017 - Coastal Carolina
2018 - Texas State
2019 - Texas State
2020 - Texas State