HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Jennifer Jones tied a career-high with 17 kills as the Southeastern volleyball team rallied from a two-game deficit and defeated Conference USA member Southern Mississippi, 20-30, 27-30, 30-23, 31-29, 15-12 Tuesday at the Payne Center.

Ashley Rougeou added 14 kills while Keri Hamblin posted a double-double with 12 kills and 16 digs for Southeastern (11-12), which won for the third time in the last four matches and improved to 3-0 in five-game matches this season.

"I thought Jen (Jones) played one of her best matches since she's been here," Southeastern head coach Roni Armeda Hipp said of the senior middle blocker. "And with Ashley (Rougeou), they really controlled the middle and kept us in the match after dropping the first two games."

Southeastern, which resumes Southland Conference action on Friday against Louisiana-Monroe, came out on fire early as it built an 8-1 lead in the first game only to see USM (5-16) chip away at the lead. The Golden Eagles, who hit .375 in the first game and .152 for the match, closed out the first game with an 11-1 run as Nicole Rock had three kills in the span.

In the second game, the Lady Lions built a 23-17 lead only to see USM score seven of the next eight points to tie the score at 24-24. Kills by Kaitlyn Deutsch and Jazzmien Stephens put USM ahead, 26-24, and after the Lady Lions tied the match at 27-27, the Golden Eagles closed out the match with a Southeastern ball handling error and kills by Amanda Blunck and Stephens.

Southeastern averted the three-game sweep as it took game three, rallying back from an early deficit. An attack error by Deutsch put Southeastern ahead, 14-13, and the Lady Lions pulled away as it outscored USM, 17-10, the rest of the way.

USM appeared on its way to claiming the match in the fourth game as it led 28-27 on a service ace by Rock, one of seven by the Golden Eagles in the match. But Southeastern answered back as Jones recorded back-to-back kills to put the Lady Lions ahead, 29-28.

Juliana Neves, who had nine kills and seven blocks, was called for a block error that tied the score at 29-29, but USM couldn't capitalize as Morgan Johnson had an attack error and Neves stuffed a Stephens' attempt to give Southeastern a 31-29 victory and force a fifth game.

In the final game, Southeastern trailed once (2-1) before going ahead for good, 9-8, on a kill by Rougeou. USM got as close as 14-12, but Jones ended the match with a kill off one of 51 assists by freshman Jill Edwards.

Brittany Gaydos recorded 32 digs - her second 30-dig match this season - and three of Southeastern's 10 service aces. Edwards added 11 digs and four aces for the Lady Lions while Rougeou and Melissa Jones had four blocks each.

Blunck led USM with 17 kills and 26 digs while Amy Troung posted a triple-double with 52 assists, 14 digs and 10 kills.

Southeastern La. def. Southern Mississippi 20-30, 27-30, 30-23, 31-29, 15-12

Southeastern La. (11-12) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Jennifer Jones 17-0-2; Ashley Rougeou 14-1-4; Keri Hamblin 12-0-1; Juliane Neves 9-1-7; Melissa Jones 6-0-4; Heidi Kellermann 1-1-0; Brittany Gaydos 0-3-0; Jill Edwards 0-4-2; Totals 59-10-12.0. (Assists) - Edwards 51. (Dig leaders) - Gaydos 32; Hamblin 16; Edwards 11.

Southern Mississippi (5-16) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Amanda Blunck 17-0-1; Jazzmien Stephens 13-0-4; Nicole Rock 12-3-3; Amy Truong 10-1-2; Kaitlyn Deutsch 9-1-2; Morgan Johnson 6-1-2; Leslie Robertson 5-0-0; Kate Juedes 1-0-0; Cassie Conley 0-1-0; Totals 73-7-8.0. (Assists) - Truong 52; Deutsch 10. (Dig leaders) - Blunck 26; Conley 21; Deutsch 16; Truong 14; Robertson 9.