Rachel Hassan had 21 kills, 11 digs, four aces and three blocks as the Troy State volleyball team defeated South Alabama, 3-1, Friday night at Trojan Arena.

With the win, the Trojans conclude their season with an 11-12 overall record and 4-6 in Atlantic Sun play. The Jaguars fall to 5-15 overall.

The first game had nine ties and seven lead changes but it was Jaguars, one more hitting error that proved to be the difference as TSU won 31-29. Down 29-27, TSU fought off two straight game points and took a 30-29 lead on two kills by Hassan and one by senior Erika VanHootegem. TSU got the final point on a bad set by USA’s Marie-Anne Grondin.

USA lead early in game two, jumping out to leads of 3-0 and 7-2 as it cruised to a 30-23 win. TSU cut the deficit to one three times but the Jags responded as they out-hit the Trojans .357-.073.

The third game went back and forth as the teams traded points with regularity until the score was tied at 24. Three straight kills gave the Trojans all of the cushion they would need and earned a 30-26 win.

In the fourth game, TSU was up 6-5 and then opened the floodgates with a 9-0 run to put the game, and the match, out of reach. The Jags, lone threat came when they cut the Trojan lead to four at 26-22, but TSU put down two kills and won 30-26.

"This was a very nice win to get at the end of the season," head coach Ginger Lowe said. "It gives us some momentum to build on for next year."

VanHootegem finished with 15 kills and 13 digs for her 12th double-double of the season, while Andrea Ellisor, the other half of the 2001 senior class, got the start and finished with a season-high nine kills and eight digs. Erika Leitzke dished out 53 assists and had seven kills and nine digs.

"Andrea (Ellisor) was doing a good job all night, so I left her in and she had some key digs and a big block in the third game," Lowe said.

USA was led by Selena Chidester,s 16 kills, 12 digs and five blocks. Holly Miller added 15 kills and 20 digs.