Nov. 1, 2009

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Patty Paniagua recorded a career-high 11 total blocks and put down 12 kills Sunday, but the UAB volleyball team lost a two-sets-to-one lead on its way to a 3-2 (25-21, 14-25, 24-26, 25-16, 15-12) defeat at the hands of Conference USA-leading Southern Miss.

The double-double was the first of Paniagua's career and just the third of the kills and blocks variety in C-USA this season.

"For Patty as a middle blocker to finish with a double-double is amazing," UAB head coach Kerry Messersmith said. "That's something that rarely happens because it is so hard to do. Our blocking was very strong for the second time this weekend, but we just couldn't quite pull this match out."

Paniagua was a catalyst for the Blazers best blocking match of the season. UAB turned in 19 total blocks, including 18 through the first three sets of play. Fellow middle blocker Michelle Uzoh matched her season-high with eight blocks, while Jordan McDonald tied her career-best with seven.

Remarkably, McDonald came up just three blocks shy of a triple-double. The junior from Birmingham finished with a career-high 16 kills to go along with 11 digs as she posted her third consecutive double-double.

To add to the blocking effort, Heather Thomas gave the Blazers a strong defensive performance in the back row. The sophomore libero managed a career-high 36 digs as she tied the highest single-match total by a player in C-USA this season.

"We played well in both aspects defensively," Messersmith said. "Because our block was so good, that forced them into some tough attempts and gave Heather a lot of chances. She played very well, which is evident by her dig total."

Alison Woods was the third Blazer to finish with a double-double, marking the most double-doubles in a match for UAB this season. The freshman setter dished out 43 assists and added 11 digs.

But despite the impressive numbers across the board, UAB (13-14, 6-6 C-USA) came up just short against a Southern Miss (23-4, 11-2 C-USA) team that has lost just four times all season and came into the match tied with Tulane for the top spot in the league standings.

When the Blazers' blocking dropped off after the third set, the Golden Eagles' offensive attack started to get on track. After hitting -.121 in the second set and .093 in the third, Southern Miss posted a .343 percentage in the fourth, followed by .321 in the decisive fifth frame.

The fourth set turned in the Golden Eagles favor midway through. The teams played even to a 14-14 tie before Southern Miss went on an 11-2 run to close out the frame and even the match. Angela Hlavaty and Caitlin Clarke recorded five kills each in the fourth for Southern Miss.

Hlavaty and Ashley Mell tied McDonald for match-high honors with 16 kills, while Clarke added 12. Hlavaty and Mell each recorded double-doubles for the Golden Eagles, as did setter Kelsea Seymour who handed out 48 assists and added 19 digs.

In the fifth and final set, Southern Miss never trailed. After the Golden Eagles jumped out to a 3-0 lead, UAB fought back to tie the score on two occasions but was never able to take the lead. The last tie came at 9-9 before Southern Miss rattled off five of the next seven points to grab a 14-11 advantage. A kill from McDonald staved off the first match point before a Sarah Jane Bowden kill sealed the win for the Golden Eagles.

"We lost the match, but I feel like we are continuing to get better," Messersmith said. "It's been our goal all along to continue to improve so we can be at our best when it really counts, and I think we're getting there."

Despite the loss, UAB locked up a spot in the eight-team Conference USA tournament thanks to losses Sunday by UTEP and UCF. The tournament is slated for Nov. 20-22 in Houston, Texas.

UAB now has five regular-season matches remaining. The Blazers go on the road for the first of three straight when they travel to Troy on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. CT first serve. The match was originally scheduled for Nov. 10 but was changed a few weeks ago.