James Madison def. South Alabama 3-0 Volleyball (Sep 26)

FinalSat, Sep 26, 2026ESPN+

0:3

James Madison beat visiting South Alabama 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-17) on Sat, Sep 26, 2026. James Madison's Kennedy Louisell led with 10 kills, and Sydney Lewis added 15 digs.

Data through Nov 3, 1:50 PM CT · final Sep 26

Set	1	2	3	Sets
S ALA	20	22	17	0
JMU	25	25	25	3

Win probability

James Madison above 50 · South Alabama below

Biggest swing: 2.4% to James Madison — set 1, S ALA 13-14 JMU. Kill by Ella Grace Holloway (set by Grace Wenrich). JMU win probability 80% → 82%.

Pre-match

Season fit · includes this match

S ALA 18.1%81.9% JMU

South Alabama wins

3-0

2.9%

3-1

6.0%

3-2

9.3%

James Madison wins

3-0

33.5%

3-1

30.7%

3-2

17.7%

S ALA break %: 39.3% vs this opp
JMU break %: 46.2% vs this opp

Exact Markov model on each team's RallyIQ serve and receive strength, adjusted for schedule and applied to this matchup (D1 average break % 42.5%). Ratings use the whole season, including this match. Gold = actual result.

Top plays

Largest win-probability swings

01
Ella Grace HollowayKill+2.4%
Kill by Ella Grace Holloway (set by Grace Wenrich)
Set 1 · S ALA 13-14 JMU · JMU 80% → 82%
02
Anabelle CernyBad set+2.4%
Bad set by Anabelle Cerny
Set 1 · S ALA 12-12 JMU · JMU 78% → 80%
03
Ayen NhialKill+2.4%
Kill by Ayen Nhial (set by Grace Wenrich)
Set 1 · S ALA 12-11 JMU · JMU 75% → 78%
04
Addie Norman&Anna WilsonBlock+2.3%
Cambria Gaier stuffed by Addie Norman & Anna Wilson
Set 1 · S ALA 14-16 JMU · JMU 82% → 85%
05
Ella Grace HollowayAttack error+2.3%
Attack error by Ella Grace Holloway
Set 1 · S ALA 12-7 JMU · S ALA 28% → 30%
06
James MadisonAce+2.2%
James Madison ace on Kathryn O'Toole
Set 1 · S ALA 12-10 JMU · JMU 73% → 75%
07
Cambria GaierAttack error+2.1%
Attack error by Cambria Gaier
Set 1 · S ALA 16-19 JMU · JMU 85% → 87%
08
Ella Grace HollowayAttack error+2.1%
Attack error by Ella Grace Holloway
Set 1 · S ALA 5-1 JMU · S ALA 24% → 26%

Box score

Official NCAA box

South Alabamaaway

Player	S	K	E	TA	Hit%	AST	SA	SE	DIG	RE	BS	BA	BLK	PTS
8Cambria GaierOH	3	9	5	21	.190	0	0	3	9	2	1	0	1	10
7Dalayla BlackwellMB	3	8	4	18	.222	0	0	0	1	0	0	3	1.5	9.5
16Alivia FreemanMB	3	9	2	14	.500	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	9
2Anabelle CernyS	3	0	1	2	-.500	30	1	0	3	0	0	2	1	2
17Kathryn O'TooleDS	3	0	0	0	–	0	0	2	2	3	0	0	0	0
20Preslee ThompsonDS	2	0	0	0	–	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
4Eva DittmarOH	3	8	4	21	.190	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0.5	8.5
22Alexa StrandbergMB	3	2	3	7	-.143	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
3Addison HurstL/DS	3	0	0	2	.000	1	2	1	6	0	0	0	0	2
6Elyse HeffnerMB	2	0	0	0	–	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
10Delaney LawsonOH	1	0	2	6	-.333	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
15Halle NorvellS	1	0	0	0	–	4	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
Team totals		36	21	91	.165	35	3	8	25	5	1	6	4	59

James Madisonhome

Player	S	K	E	TA	Hit%	AST	SA	SE	DIG	RE	BA	BLK	PTS
1Kennedy LouisellOH	3	10	7	31	.097	0	0	1	4	1	4	2	12
8Anna WilsonMB	3	5	1	6	.667	0	0	0	1	0	5	2.5	7.5
9Ayen NhialMB	3	6	2	10	.400	0	0	3	0	0	2	1	7
4Ella Grace HollowayOH	3	6	2	9	.444	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.5	6.5
16Shelby DavisL/DS	3	0	1	3	-.333	0	3	0	5	1	0	0	3
2Grace WenrichS	3	1	0	2	.500	13	0	0	3	0	0	0	1
13Ana ToumazatosOH	3	6	1	14	.357	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6
6Addie NormanOH	3	5	1	11	.364	1	0	0	0	0	2	1	6
5Lindsey LargeS	3	0	0	0	–	16	1	0	3	0	0	0	1
17Sydney LewisL/DS	3	0	0	0	–	3	1	0	15	1	0	0	1
12Brenna CorbinL/DS	1	0	0	0	–	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Team totals		39	15	86	.279	33	5	4	31	3	14	7	75

Starters listed first. BLK is the NCAA total: a solo counts 1, a block assist ½. Recaps and press releases usually quote solos + assists instead, so the same night can be reported as a bigger, whole number. The box score is the source for every counting stat on this page.

South Alabama vs James Madison

Season series · James Madison leads 2-0

Fri, Sep 25, 2026South Alabama at James Madison · James Madison won 3-0Result →
Sat, Sep 26, 2026South Alabama at James Madison · James Madison won 3-0This match

Momentum

Point differential by rally

Longest run 4 S ALA · JMU 7

Set 1

20-25

Longest run 4 S ALAJMU 5

Set 2

22-25

Longest run 2 S ALAJMU 3

Set 3

17-25

Longest run 3 S ALAJMU 7

Bars above the line = James Madison leads, below = South Alabama leads. Bright bars are points inside a run of 3+.

Rotations

Sideout and break % by rotation slot

South Alabama

Slot	Sideout %	Break %
1	58%7/12	57%8/14
2	47%7/15	36%4/11
3	64%7/11	0%0/7
4	54%7/13	22%2/9
5	56%5/9	46%6/13
6	31%4/13	29%2/7
All	51%37/73	36%22/61

James Madison

Slot	Sideout %	Break %
1	54%7/13	67%10/15
2	64%7/11	22%2/9
3	88%7/8	61%11/18
4	70%7/10	13%1/8
5	55%6/11	54%7/13
6	63%5/8	50%5/10
All	64%39/61	49%36/73

Slot = rotations since the start of the set (slot 1 is the lineup a team opened the set in), not a fixed player alignment. Only clean sets count (3 of 3 here): sets where the NCAA play-by-play has gaps or score corrections are left out because the rotation can't be tracked through them.

Rally log

134 rallies

#	S ALA-JMU	Srv	Point	End	Player	Setter / blockers / passer	WP Δ
Set 1
1	1-0	S ALA	S ALA×3	Attack err	Ayen Nhial		+1.7
2	2-0	S ALA	S ALA×3	Attack err	Kennedy Louisell		+1.9
3	3-0	S ALA	S ALA×3	Kill	Cambria Gaier	set Anabelle Cerny	+2.0
4	3-1	S ALA	JMU	Attack err	Anabelle Cerny		+1.3
5	4-1	JMU	S ALA×4	Kill	Alivia Freeman	set Anabelle Cerny	+1.6
6	5-1	S ALA	S ALA×4	Attack err	Ella Grace Holloway		+2.1
7	6-1	S ALA	S ALA×4	Attack err	Kennedy Louisell		+2.1
8	7-1	S ALA	S ALA×4	Ace	South Alabama	aced Shelby Davis	+2.0
9	7-2	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Anna Wilson	set Grace Wenrich	+1.2
10	7-3	JMU	JMU	Attack err	Alexa Strandberg		+1.7
11	8-3	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Alivia Freeman	set Anabelle Cerny	+1.6
12	8-4	S ALA	JMU	Serve err	South Alabama		+1.3
13	8-5	JMU	JMU	Kill	Kennedy Louisell	set Lindsey Large	+1.9
14	9-5	JMU	S ALA	Serve err	James Madison		+1.7
15	9-6	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Anna Wilson	set Lindsey Large	+1.4
16	10-6	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Eva Dittmar	set Anabelle Cerny	+1.8
17	10-7	S ALA	JMU	Attack err	Eva Dittmar		+1.5
18	11-7	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Dalayla Blackwell	set Anabelle Cerny	+1.8
19	12-7	S ALA	S ALA	Attack err	Ella Grace Holloway		+2.3
20	12-8	S ALA	JMU×5	Kill	Ayen Nhial	set Grace Wenrich	+1.3
21	12-9	JMU	JMU×5	Attack err	Dalayla Blackwell		+2.0
22	12-10	JMU	JMU×5	Ace	James Madison	aced Kathryn O'Toole	+2.2
23	12-11	JMU	JMU×5	Kill	Ayen Nhial	set Grace Wenrich	+2.4
24	12-12	JMU	JMU×5	Bad set	Anabelle Cerny		+2.4
25	13-12	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Cambria Gaier	set Anabelle Cerny	+2.0
26	13-13	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Ella Grace Holloway	set Anabelle Cerny	+1.8
27	13-14	JMU	JMU	Kill	Ella Grace Holloway	set Grace Wenrich	+2.4
28	14-14	JMU	S ALA	Serve err	James Madison		+1.9
29	14-15	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Grace Wenrich		+1.9
30	14-16	JMU	JMU	Blocked	Cambria Gaier	blk Addie Norman, Anna Wilson	+2.3
31	15-16	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Alivia Freeman	set Anabelle Cerny	+1.7
32	15-17	S ALA	JMU	Serve err	South Alabama		+1.8
33	16-17	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Alexa Strandberg	set Anabelle Cerny	+1.8
34	16-18	S ALA	JMU×4	Kill	Ana Toumazatos	set Lindsey Large	+1.9
35	16-19	JMU	JMU×4	Attack err	Cambria Gaier		+2.1
36	16-20	JMU	JMU×4	Kill	Ana Toumazatos	set Lindsey Large	+1.6
37	16-21	JMU	JMU×4	Attack err	Eva Dittmar		+1.0
38	17-21	JMU	S ALA×3	Attack err	Kennedy Louisell		+0.5
39	18-21	S ALA	S ALA×3	Blocked	Addie Norman	blk Eva Dittmar, Dalayla Blackwell	+1.0
40	19-21	S ALA	S ALA×3	Blocked	Ayen Nhial	blk Dalayla Blackwell, Anabelle Cerny	+1.8
41	19-22	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Kennedy Louisell	set Lindsey Large	+1.8
42	19-23	JMU	JMU	Blocked	Dalayla Blackwell	blk Ella Grace Holloway, Ayen Nhial	+1.5
43	20-23	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Eva Dittmar	set Anabelle Cerny	+0.5
44	20-24	S ALA	JMU	Serve err	South Alabama		+1.0
45	20-25	JMU	JMU	Ace	James Madison	aced Kathryn O'Toole	+0.4
Set 2
1	0-1	JMU	JMU	Kill	Ella Grace Holloway		+1.1
2	1-1	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Alivia Freeman	set Anabelle Cerny	+0.9
3	1-2	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Kennedy Louisell	set Grace Wenrich	+0.9
4	2-2	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Cambria Gaier	set Anabelle Cerny	+0.9
5	2-3	S ALA	JMU	Serve err	South Alabama		+0.9
6	2-4	JMU	JMU	Blocked	Alivia Freeman	blk Anna Wilson, Kennedy Louisell	+1.1
7	3-4	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Alivia Freeman	set Anabelle Cerny	+0.8
8	3-5	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Kennedy Louisell	set Lindsey Large	+0.8
9	4-5	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Eva Dittmar	set Anabelle Cerny	+0.9
10	4-6	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Anna Wilson	set Lindsey Large	+0.9
11	4-7	JMU	JMU	Kill	Kennedy Louisell	set Lindsey Large	+1.0
12	5-7	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Dalayla Blackwell	set Anabelle Cerny	+0.8
13	6-7	S ALA	S ALA	Kill	Cambria Gaier	set Anabelle Cerny	+1.2
14	6-8	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Addie Norman	set Lindsey Large	+0.9
15	7-8	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Dalayla Blackwell	set Anabelle Cerny	+0.9
16	8-8	S ALA	S ALA	Attack err	Kennedy Louisell		+1.4
17	8-9	S ALA	JMU	Serve err	South Alabama		+1.1
18	8-10	JMU	JMU	Attack err	Cambria Gaier		+1.3
19	9-10	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Alivia Freeman	set Anabelle Cerny	+1.0
20	9-11	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Ella Grace Holloway	set Grace Wenrich	+1.0
21	10-11	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Cambria Gaier	set Anabelle Cerny	+1.0
22	10-12	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Ella Grace Holloway	set Grace Wenrich	+1.0
23	11-12	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Eva Dittmar	set Anabelle Cerny	+1.1
24	11-13	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Kennedy Louisell	set Lindsey Large	+1.1
25	12-13	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Eva Dittmar	set Anabelle Cerny	+1.1
26	13-13	S ALA	S ALA	Attack err	Anna Wilson		+1.8
27	13-14	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Addie Norman	set Sydney Lewis	+1.3
28	14-14	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Dalayla Blackwell	set Anabelle Cerny	+1.4
29	14-15	S ALA	JMU×3	Kill	Ana Toumazatos	set Addie Norman	+1.4
30	14-16	JMU	JMU×3	Attack err	Dalayla Blackwell		+1.7
31	14-17	JMU	JMU×3	Kill	Ana Toumazatos	set Sydney Lewis	+1.4
32	15-17	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Cambria Gaier	set Anabelle Cerny	+1.0
33	16-17	S ALA	S ALA	Kill	Alivia Freeman		+1.7
34	16-18	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Ana Toumazatos	set Grace Wenrich	+1.4
35	16-19	JMU	JMU	Ace	James Madison	aced Kathryn O'Toole	+1.6
36	17-19	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Cambria Gaier	set Anabelle Cerny	+1.0
37	17-20	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Ayen Nhial	set Grace Wenrich	+1.2
38	18-20	JMU	S ALA	Serve err	James Madison		+1.0
39	18-21	S ALA	JMU×3	Kill	Ella Grace Holloway	set Grace Wenrich	+1.3
40	18-22	JMU	JMU×3	Blocked	Alivia Freeman	blk Anna Wilson, Kennedy Louisell	+1.2
41	18-23	JMU	JMU×3	Blocked	Alexa Strandberg	blk Kennedy Louisell, Anna Wilson	+0.6
42	19-23	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Eva Dittmar	set Anabelle Cerny	+0.2
43	20-23	S ALA	S ALA	Kill	Dalayla Blackwell	set Anabelle Cerny	+0.5
44	20-24	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Kennedy Louisell	set Lindsey Large	+0.7
45	21-24	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Eva Dittmar	set Anabelle Cerny	+0.2
46	22-24	S ALA	S ALA	Blocked	Shelby Davis	blk Anabelle Cerny, Dalayla Blackwell	+0.8
47	22-25	S ALA	JMU	Serve err	South Alabama		+1.3
Set 3
1	1-0	S ALA	S ALA×3	Kill	Cambria Gaier	set Addison Hurst	+0.7
2	2-0	S ALA	S ALA×3	Attack err	Kennedy Louisell		+0.7
3	3-0	S ALA	S ALA×3	Kill	Alivia Freeman	set Anabelle Cerny	+0.8
4	3-1	S ALA	JMU	Serve err	South Alabama		+0.5
5	3-2	JMU	JMU	Attack err	Cambria Gaier		+0.7
6	4-2	JMU	S ALA	Serve err	James Madison		+0.6
7	5-2	S ALA	S ALA	Attack err	Kennedy Louisell		+0.8
8	5-3	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Kennedy Louisell	set Grace Wenrich	+0.5
9	6-3	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Dalayla Blackwell	set Anabelle Cerny	+0.6
10	6-4	S ALA	JMU	Attack err	Cambria Gaier		+0.5
11	7-4	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Cambria Gaier	set Halle Norvell	+0.6
12	7-5	S ALA	JMU×4	Kill	Anna Wilson	set Lindsey Large	+0.6
13	7-6	JMU	JMU×4	Kill	Ayen Nhial		+0.8
14	7-7	JMU	JMU×4	Kill	Addie Norman	set Lindsey Large	+0.8
15	7-8	JMU	JMU×4	Ace	James Madison	aced Cambria Gaier	+0.7
16	8-8	JMU	S ALA×3	Kill	Dalayla Blackwell	set Halle Norvell	+0.6
17	9-8	S ALA	S ALA×3	Ace	South Alabama	aced Kennedy Louisell	+0.8
18	10-8	S ALA	S ALA×3	Ace	South Alabama	aced Sydney Lewis	+0.9
19	10-9	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Ana Toumazatos	set Lindsey Large	+0.6
20	10-10	JMU	JMU	Attack err	Alexa Strandberg		+0.8
21	11-10	JMU	S ALA	Bad set	Grace Wenrich		+0.7
22	11-11	S ALA	JMU×3	Attack err	Delaney Lawson		+0.6
23	11-12	JMU	JMU×3	Kill	Ayen Nhial	set Grace Wenrich	+0.8
24	11-13	JMU	JMU×3	Kill	Ayen Nhial	set Grace Wenrich	+0.8
25	12-13	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Alivia Freeman	set Anabelle Cerny	+0.6
26	12-14	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Kennedy Louisell	set Grace Wenrich	+0.6
27	13-14	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Eva Dittmar	set Anabelle Cerny	+0.6
28	13-15	S ALA	JMU×7	Serve err	South Alabama		+0.6
29	13-16	JMU	JMU×7	Kill	Kennedy Louisell	set Lindsey Large	+0.7
30	13-17	JMU	JMU×7	Attack err	Eva Dittmar		+0.6
31	13-18	JMU	JMU×7	Attack err	Dalayla Blackwell		+0.4
32	13-19	JMU	JMU×7	Ace	James Madison	aced Cambria Gaier	+0.3
33	13-20	JMU	JMU×7	Blocked	Eva Dittmar	blk Kennedy Louisell, Anna Wilson	+0.2
34	13-21	JMU	JMU×7	Kill	Addie Norman	set Sydney Lewis	+0.1
35	14-21	JMU	S ALA	Attack err	Kennedy Louisell		·
36	14-22	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Addie Norman	set Lindsey Large	·
37	15-22	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Alexa Strandberg	set Halle Norvell	·
38	16-22	S ALA	S ALA	Attack err	Ana Toumazatos		·
39	16-23	S ALA	JMU	Kill	Anna Wilson	set Lindsey Large	+0.1
40	17-23	JMU	S ALA	Kill	Dalayla Blackwell	set Halle Norvell	·
41	17-24	S ALA	JMU	Blocked	Delaney Lawson	blk Addie Norman, Ayen Nhial	·
42	17-25	JMU	JMU	Attack err	Grace Wenrich		·

Score shown after each rally, South Alabama first. WP Δ = match win-probability points gained, colored by the team that gained them.“NCAA feed gap” rows mark points the NCAA play-by-play never logged (tap Why? for details).

James Madison def. South Alabama 3–0