HATTIESBURG, Miss. — The University of Southern Mississippi volleyball team improved to 6-1 this season after a 3-1 victory over Lamar on Friday night at the Wellness Center. The Golden Eagles secured the win with set scores of 25-14, 23-25, 25-18, 31-29, during the second day of the Southern Miss Invitational, marking their best start since 2017, according to school officials.
Southern Miss set a season-high with 69 kills in the match. Allie Hazelwood led the team with a career-high 57 assists and 16 digs, earning her second double-double of the season. Her assist total also set a new Sun Belt single-match record, according to conference officials. Sadie McAda contributed 18 kills and 20 digs, her fifth double-double of the season. Sunni Sheppard set a new career high with four aces.
Other notable performances included Aubrey Judd, who finished with 14 kills and contributed two of the final three points of the match. Elly Stewart added 13 kills with a .522 hitting percentage and four blocks. Diana Wells chipped in 12 kills and nine digs, while Lillie Johnson had nine kills.
Southern Miss took an early lead in the first set, jumping ahead 6-0, and maintained control to win 25-14. Lamar responded in the second set, taking an early 7-5 lead and eventually tying the match at 1-1 with a 25-23 victory. The Golden Eagles regained momentum in the third set, turning a 12-12 tie into a 17-12 lead, and closed it out 25-18, then held a 2-1 lead heading into the fourth.
The final set was tightly contested, featuring multiple lead changes. Lamar led 29-28 late, but Judd tied it with a kill. Sheppard then delivered an ace to give Southern Miss a 30-29 edge, and Judd finished the match with a kill, sealing the 31-29 victory. The Golden Eagles will continue the invitational Saturday, facing Southern and Jackson State at the Wellness Center.
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