Friday, November 14, 2014

Solid Effort Helps Cajuns Earn Historic Win Over UT Arlington

LAFAYETTE – Sara Mossakowski recorded a team-high 11 kills and Andrea Hole posted a double-double with 37 assists and 16 digs as the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns volleyball team earned a three-set victory (25-21, 25-19, 25-16) over UT Arlington in a Sun Belt Conference match on Friday at Earl K. Long Gym.

Caitlyn Auxilien posted 19 digs while Chanelle Gardner and Kaylee Nemeth each posted nine kills and five blocks to lead Louisiana (19-11, 8-10 Sun Belt) to its third consecutive victory and its first-ever win over UTA (22-8, 12-5 Sun Belt) in 12 matches.

“The team that played here tonight was the team that played at Houston our third weekend of the season,” Louisiana head coach Heather Mazeitis-Fontenot said. “That team has been struggling to find its way back, and tonight … it was almost like we could do no wrong. When we needed a big point, we got a big point and it came from all over, and it was awesome.”

Winless in 11 previous matches against UTA, Louisiana fell behind 5-1 in the opening set after Briana Sharatt and Taylor Gross combined on a block of freshman Stacey Reilly. The Ragin’ Cajuns recovered and knotted the set at 9-9 on a kill by Abby Filce before taking their first lead of the night on a kill by Mossakowski.

Back-to-back kills by Nemeth snapped a 13-13 tie and the Ragin’ Cajuns would pull away to claim the opening set behind a .217 average (18-8-46) at the net.

The Ragin’ Cajuns opened the second set on a 7-3 run as Reilly collected three of her six kills in the match. The Mavs got as close at 14-11 after an error by Reilly, but a service error by Taylor Story and three straight attack errors pushed the Louisiana lead to 18-11. The Ragin’ Cajuns, which hit .395 in the second set (17-2-38) kept up their pressure as Keely Hayes stopped a 3-0 UTA run with a kill before Mossakowski and Filce would close out the set with kills.

UTA opened the third set with a 3-1 lead before a kill by Filce and a service ace by Mossakowski tied the contest. Nemeth gave Louisiana the lead for good, 4-3, with a kill and the Ragin’ Cajuns pushed their lead to 7-4 after an ace by Auxilien. The Mavericks closed to within 12-11 after an attack error by Nemeth, but the senior responded on the following serve with a kill and UTA would not get any closer.

Louisiana took an 18-12 lead after Nemeth blocked a Qiana Canete attempt at the net and the Ragin; Cajuns would extend their lead to 22-15 after a kill by Mossakowski.

The Ragin’ Cajuns hit .275 (47-14-120) at the net and held UTA to .130 (37-21-123). Louisiana recorded 10 team blocks against the Mavs while Mossakowski and Auxilien combined for three aces.

“What was great about tonight was that they played very relaxed,” Mazeitis-Fontenot said. “UTA got up early in the first and third set, and we just worked our way back and completely flipped it (the score). The unsung heroes tonight were our servers … our serving game was amazing. We may not recorded a lot of aces, but we completely took them (UTA) out of their offense because all of the passes were at the 10-foot line and that’s what we needed to do to get good blocks and keep them out of their offense.”

Sharett posted 11 kills to lead UTA with Stacy Koch adding 10. Amanda Welsh and Cassidy Wheeler combined for 33 assists for the Mavs with Caitlyn Cooney leading the team with 17 digs.

Louisiana will return to action on Nov. 21 when it travels to face Arkansas State in a 7 p.m. match before closing out the regular-season on Nov. 23 against ULM at noon.

UTA Falls in Three to UL Lafayette

ARLINGTON, Texas – UT Arlington struggled to get things going offensively in its three-set loss to Louisiana on Friday night as the Mavericks hit just .130 on the night compared to .275 for the Ragin' Cajuns.

"To me it looked like they just wanted it a lot more than us," UT Arlington coach Diane Seymour said. "They just killed us in every category. We were out blocked ten to two which is unheard of against us and they out dug us by ten so I guess they just wanted it a lot more than us."

The loss drops the Mavericks to 22-8 this season with a 12-5 mark in the Sun Belt while Louisiana improves to 19-11 on the year with an 8-10 record in conference play.

Briana Sharratt and Stacey Koch shouldered the offensive load for the Mavericks as the duo combined to record 21 of UTA's 37 kills. Sharratt registered a team high 11 kills and a hitting percentage of .320 while Koch ended the night with ten kills.

"They definitely came out and fought harder than we did in general," Koch said. "We scouted them beforehand and we knew where they would play in defense so we worked on hitting the ball around them and I just focused on doing that."

Caitlyn Cooney led the Mavericks defensively as the junior libero notched 17 digs in the match.

"We've played some really bad volleyball for about two and a half weeks and are 2-3 in that stretch," Seymour added. "Something has got to flip in our players that they want to restart this season and try to finish on a strong note where they can have five or six more matches. Otherwise we are down to three matches and it's over."

UT Arlington will return to action this Sunday when they take on Georgia State in its home finale which will be broadcast for free on UTAMavs.com. The Mavericks will honor their four seniors prior to the noon match.

Lewis' 16 Kills Guide Jaguars Past App State in Five to Snap Skid

MOBILE, Ala. – Sophomore outside hitter Jessica Lewis returned to the Jaguar line up and led the club with 16 kills and a career-best .425 hitting percentage to help the University of South Alabama volleyball team snap a five-match skid Friday with a thrilling 3-2 (25-15, 19-25, 25-16, 17-25, 15-9) Sun Belt Conference victory over Appalachian State at Jag Gym.

"The main thing for us tonight is that we played as a team," South Alabama head coach Amy Hendrichovsky said. "I told them this week in practice that if they continued to play together as a team and trust each other that everything would then fall into place. I thought for three sets that we played really good volleyball. In the other two sets we didn't, but that's the game of volleyball. It's a game of momentum. If we can focus on what we did well in those three sets and continue to do that, we have a good team."

The win also ended a six-match losing streak at Jag Gym for USA.

As the Jaguars head into the final stretch of the regular season and try to earn a berth in this year's Sun Belt Conference tournament, wins like tonight's can be pivotal for a team.

"This was a huge win for us tonight," Lewis said. "We haven't really been on a winning streak much lately like some of the teams in our conference. App State is a great team and we knew that we just had to focus on us tonight and control ourselves. We did that today. In this win tonight, we really learned how to fight. We needed to go five games with a great team like Appalachian State to learn that. It's not going to be easy for us to get into the conference tournament, but this is a great start for us on that path."

The Jags (11-16, 6-11 SBC) will now travel to take on Sun Belt regular-season champ Arkansas-Little Rock on Sunday at noon at the Jack Stephens Center. Live stats and web streaming for the match at UALR will be available at www.USAJaguars.com and can be accessed on the Jaguar volleyball schedule page.

Along with Lewis, fellow sophomore Mechell Daniel also ended the match in double digits as she recorded her team-best 12th double-double of the season with a 13-kill, 12 dig performance. Nikki Gittens finished just outside double figures with nine kills and a career-high seven block assists.

"(Jessica Lewis) is a competitor and a very big piece to this puzzle on this team," Hendrichovsky said. "She's a leader for us and it was very refreshing that we had her on the court tonight. I thought we had some good offensive performances from multiple people throughout the match and that Emma (Anderson) ran a balanced offense."

Anderson had a solid all-around match as she ended the night with seven kills (career-high), 43 assists, seven digs and five block assists (career-high), while hitting .462.

Mallory Moore had eight kills, while Symone Stephenson chipped in with seven kills of her own and hit .462.

As a team, South Alabama registered a season-best 22 block assists for 11.0 total blocks – also a new season high for the team.

"About three weeks ago, we let our team know that we were second-to-last in the league in blocks and I think our middles took that to heart since they take pride in blocking," Hendrichovsky said. "They really got after it and over the course of the last few matches, we've been out-blocking our opponents. That's in large part due to Symone (Stephenson) and Nikki (Gittens) putting a focus on that part of the game. It's a big contribution to a team when you can on a hitter on the other side of the net and put some pressure on them."

Appalachian State (19-8, 9-8 SBC) was led offensively by Emily Corrigan and Jess Keller, who each carded a match-best 19 kills in the losing effort. Corrigan also added 12 digs to give her a double-double of the season. Lauren Gray had 11 kills of her own.

Paige Brown just missed a double-double of her own for the Mountaineers with 47 assists and nine digs.

For the first time this season, South Alabama led its opponent in kills (62-54), hitting percentage (.291-.235), assists (55-52) service aces (3-2), digs (63-59) and blocks (11.0-7.0). The match marked the first time USA has out-hit an opponent since its five-set win at Louisiana-Monroe on Oct. 24.

SET ONE: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, APPALACHIAN STATE 15
South Alabama used a 7-1 run during the opening set to break a 6-6 tied and take the lead for good in the frame. Moore – who had four kills in the first set – began the run with a put away. USA later received two kills from Lewis and kills from Nikki Gittens, Savannah Stewart and Daniel. The Jag defense capped off the scoring as Gittens and freshman setter Emma Anderson teamed up to turn back a Mountaineer attack and give South Alabama a 13-7 advantage.

App State trimmed the deficit to 17-13 following a kill by Corrigan, but USA didn't allow the visitors to get any closer as the Jaguars eventually pushed their lead out to double figures. The Jags took the early lead in the match with the 25-15 first-set victory when an Appalachian State serve went long

South Alabama was outstanding on both sides of the net in the opening frame. USA had 18 kills and committed just two attack errors for a .500 hitting percentage, while holding a 19-11 dig advantage and a 6-0 block assists margin.

SET TWO: APPALACHIAN STATE 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 19
Riding the momentum of taking the first set, the Jags got off to a quick start in the second set, picking up the first three points and taking a 6-2 lead after kills by Gittens and Lewis.

App State though battled its way back and later tied the set back up at 10-10 on a Haley Kerr ace. Two points later, Gray ignited a 6-1 run with a kill. Corrigan – who recorded six kills in the second set – also added a pair of kills during the run and Gray gave the Mountaineers a 16-12 advantage with another put away.

USA narrowed the deficit to three (19-16) after an ASU attack error, but Keller began another scoring spurt with one of her seven kills in the frame.

Corrigan later sealed the 25-19 win with another kill which deflected of a Jaguar player's hand.

After hitting just .143 in the first set, Appalachian State bounced back in the second to record a .394 hitting percentage.

SET THREE: SOUTH ALABAMA 25, APPALACHIAN STATE 16
Tied at 10-10 in the third set, South Alabama once again used a run to take control of the frame. Daniel's kill sparked a 6-1 spurt over the next seven points. Two points after the kill, Daniel dropped in an ace. Lewis later capped off the scoring and put the Jags up 16-11 with back-to-back kills.

From that point on, Appalachian State got no closer than five. USA went on to take the set, 25-16, after Daniel's third kill of the frame. South Alabama hit .333 (13-3-30) in the third set compared to .043 (8-7-23) by Appalachian State. Stephenson led the Jaguars with four kills in the frame.

SET FOUR: APPALACHIAN STATE 25, SOUTH ALABAMA 17
Led by Corrigan, the Mountaineers opened up the fourth set on a 6-0 run. Corrigan recorded three of her six kills in the set during the ASU run.

Still trailing 15-7 after an App State block, Gittens and Daniel led the Jaguar charge as the duo spurred on a 7-1 USA run that began with five unanswered points. Daniel posted four kills and a block during the scoring spurt, while Gittens added a kill and a block of her own. Daniel cut App State's lead and capped off the run with back-to-back kills, pulling USA within two (16-14).

The Mountaineers quickly retook control as they answered back with seven of the next eight points to extend their lead back out to 23-15. The trio of Gray, Keller and Corrigan each had two kills apiece during the run.

Appalachian State later evened the match at 2-2 with the 25-17 set victory.

SET FIVE: SOUTH ALABAMA 15, APPALACHIAN STATE 9
In the fifth and final set, South Alabama broke a 2-2 tie with a 6-1 run and took an 8-3 advantage at the cross over break. Lewis led the charge for USA as she had three kills during the scoring run.

Coming out of a time out, App State battled its way back and trimmed the deficit to 9-7 following a Jaguar attack error, but South Alabama didn't allow the Mountaineers to get any closer as it answered right back with three-straight points to extend its advantage back out to 12-7.

Gittens later clinched the match with her ninth kill of the night to seal the 15-9 fifth-set win.

NOTES: The win over Appalachian State snapped both a five-match losing streak and a six-match skid at home for the Jaguars. South Alabama held a .291-.235 hitting percentage advantage, marking the first time USA has out-hit a conference foe since doing so at Louisiana-Monroe on Oct. 24. The 11.0 total blocks were a new season-best for the Jaguars. The 22 block assists versus the Mountaineers were also a new season-high for the club. Nikki Gitten's seven block assists were a new career-high for the Jag middle blocker. The .425 hitting percentage by Jessica Lewis was also a new career-best for the sophomore outside hitter. The 16-kill effort was the 16th double-figure kill match of the season for Lewis. With her 13 kills and 12 digs, Mechell Daniel now has a team-best 12 double-doubles this season. The match was just the second meeting between South Alabama and Appalachian State. The two teams have split both of those meetings this season.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Mountaineers Drop Five-Set Match to South Alabama

MOBILE, Ala. - Appalachian State University volleyball dropped a five-set match to South Alabama on Friday evening, featuring scores of 15-25, 25-19, 16-25, 25-17 and 9-15.

The Mountaineers (19-8, 9-8 Sun Belt) came back from a first-set loss to tie the match, 2-2 but the Jaguars (11-16, 6-11) came up with the win in the fifth set for the match victory.

The first set began with five tied scores until South Alabama would go on an 8-2 run, recording seven kills for a 14-8 lead. The Mountaineers would attempt to catch up, but would not come within more than four points as South Alabama took the first set 25-15.

The Jaguars got the early 3-0 lead in the second set, but Appalachian eventually tied the score at 11 off a kill from Lauren Gray. From there the Apps took control scoring eight of the next ten points for an 18-13 lead.

The Mountaineers would get kills from Emily Corrigan, Jess Keller and Hailey Kerr to help them close out the second set with a 25-19 win and tie the match, 1-1.

The third set was a close one as the each team struggled to maintain a lead. With the score tied a 10 the Jaguars went on a 6-1 run to take a 16-11 lead. South Alabama would control the rest of the set, winning the third with a score of 25-16 and leading the match 2-1.

The Mountaineers dominated the beginning of the fourth set, jumping out to a 6-0 lead. The Apps did not let up, going on a 9-3 run in the middle of the set to lead 15-7.

The Jaguars would come back to trail by only two points but Appalachian regained their composure, scoring nine of the last 12 points of the set to take the fourth, 25-17 and tie the match, 2-2.

South Alabama took a 5-2 lead off several Appalachian errors and would lead by as much as five points before the Apps recording two kills to trail 8-5.

South Alabama was in control of the rest of the set, taking the fifth 15-9 and winning the match, 3-2.

Corrigan and Keller each notched 19 kills in the loss, while Gray recorded 11. Paige Brown tallied a match-high 47 assists and Meghan Mahoney led the team with 15 digs.

South Alabama was led by Jessica Lewis' 16 kills and Jenna Hassell's match-high 16 digs.

The Mountaineers hit .235 on the match, while the Jaguars hit .291, while finding 11 blocks to Appalachian's seven.

The Mountaineers return to action on Sunday when they travel to Sun Belt opponent UL Monroe.

Georgia Southern Falls to UALR in Five Sets

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Edina Begic notched 30 kills and UALR won its 19th straight match by holding off Georgia Southern 3-2 (17-25, 25-21, 25-23, 23-25, 15-11) in Sun Belt Conference volleyball action Friday night in The Jack Stephens Center.

Cathrine Murray led the way for Georgia Southern (7-20, 6-11) with a career-high 23 kills to go along with eight digs. Kym Coley tallied 14 kills and three blocks, and Jamie DeRatt finished with seven kills and a career-high 24 digs. Kat Minnerly had 47 assists and six digs, and Avery Stephens notched 17 digs and five aces.

Begic added nine digs and hit .328 in the match with just eight errors on 67 swings for the Trojans (24-4, 18-0), who have already clinched the Sun Belt regular-season championship. Sonja Milanovic posted 17 kills and 13 digs, and Megan Mathis finished with 56 assists, six digs and three blocks.

The Eagles hung with the Trojans all night and trimmed a four-point deficit to 13-11 in the fifth set with the help of a Murray kill. Begic answered with a kill for UALR, and Adisa Hodzic finished out the match with a block.

“I’m certainly not happy with the loss, but we played very well tonight,” said Georgia Southern coach Dustin Wood. “Cathrine played well in all aspects of the game, and Kym scored big points at key times. We didn’t pass well enough consistently tonight, and that is something we have to clean up to get our game to the next level.”

Murray notched two kills in a 5-1 Eagle run in the first set as Georgia Southern went on to win the frame 25-17 and take a 1-0 lead in the match. UALR took the second set 25-21, and the third frame was deadlocked at 22-22, when Milanovic put down a kill and Hodzic followed with an ace, one of 12 in the match for the Trojans. Murray answered with a kill for Georgia Southern, but Milanovic finished the set off with a kill.

The Eagles pushed out to a 19-12 lead in the fourth set and were ahead 23-18 following a block by Murray and Leah Joseph. UALR scored five straight points, keyed by consecutive blocks by Selimovic and Hodzic, to tie the score. Coley put down a kill for the Eagles, and a Trojan hitting error finished the set, sending the match to a fifth game.

Georgia Southern plays its final league road match of the season at Arkansas State Sunday at 1 p.m.

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A-State Volleyball Sweeps ULM for Seventh Straight Win

JONESBORO, Ark. (11/14/14) – The Arkansas State volleyball squad defeated ULM 3-0 (27-25, 25-19, 25-22) Friday night at Fant-Ewing Coliseum in Monroe, La., for its seventh consecutive victory.

The Red Wolves (18-8, 13-4) raced out to a 6-1 advantage over the Warhawks (8-22, 2-15) after a Kariana Castanon-Hill kill in the first set, but ULM battled back to tie it at 8-8. Neither team led by more than three points the rest of the way, and the set was deadlocked at 24-24 after a Sarah Kemp kill. ULM got a kill from Hope Pawlik to earn a 25-24 edge, but A-State won the next three points on a Castanon-Hill kill, attack error, and Drew Jones kill to take set one by a score of 27-25.

ULM began the second set on a 5-1 run, but the Red Wolves responded strongly to take a 10-9 lead on a Mallory Warrington service ace. A-State would not trail again in the set and opened its largest lead of nine points at 24-15 on a Kelsey Reis kill. The Warhawks won the next four points to cut the A-State advantage to 24-19, but a Warrington kill clinched the set for the Red Wolves 25-19.

The third set began with both teams battling to a 10-10 tie before ULM earned a 14-12 lead on a kill from Bayleigh Hoffman. A-State responded to earn an 18-14 advantage on a Reis block, but an 8-3 run by the Warhawks gave ULM the lead at 22-21 and forced an A-State timeout. The Red Wolves responded with a 4-0 run, capped by a Kemp kill, to earn a 25-22 set victory and take the match by a count of 3-0.

“We didn’t play our best, but we got an important road win,” A-State volleyball coach David Rehr said. “It’s always hard to get conference wins on the road, but we have some things we need to work on. Hopefully we will play better against Georgia Southern Sunday.”

Kemp led the Red Wolves with 12 kills, while Jones and Castanon-Hill added nine and seven, respectively. Warrington earned her 20th double-double of the year by handing out 29 assists and tallying 17 digs. Markie Schaedig led Arkansas State with 22 digs and Jessica Heuertz added 11. Jessica Uke led the team with four blocks to help hold ULM to a .129 hitting percentage.

Arkansas State returns to action Sunday, Nov. 16 in the Convocation Center with first serve set for noon. Fans can keep up with the entire match’s action by viewing live stats at AStateStats.com and by following @AStateGameday on Twitter. For the latest on the A-State volleyball team follow the squad on Twitter (@stAteVolleyball).

Araya Breaks Single Season Digs Record as ULM Falls

MONROE, La. – On a record setting night that saw senior Marcela Araya break the school single season record for total digs for the second straight year, the ULM volleyball team was unable to capitalize as Arkansas State topped the Warhawks, 3-0 (27-25, 25-19, 25-22), Friday night inside the Fant Ewing Coliseum.

“I’m really happy to see the fight hasn’t left us,” ULM head coach Patrick Hiltz said. “It tells me that the girls are seeing the big picture of what we’re building here with our program goals. They are showing an understanding that every day is an opportunity and they are determined to make the most of every opportunity.”

Araya played superb in her record setting performance, collecting a match-high 26 digs in only three sets to raise her average to 5.48 digs per set on the year. The Costa Rica native sits at 570 digs on the season with three matches remaining.

“It is a nice honor but I would rather have got the win instead,” Araya said. “To me it is like a reward though for all the hard work and hours of practice over the years. I’m happy I was able to do it.”

Hope Pawlik finished just one kill shy of her sixth double-double. The sophomore outside hitter tallied nine kills on .286 hitting to go along with 10 digs.

Taylor Zaeske added seven digs and led all scorers with 16 kills on .250 hitting. The Milwaukee, Wis. native eclipsed the double-digit mark for the sixth time this season.

Bayleigh Hoffman registered her team-high ninth double-double after amassing 32 assists and 12 digs. Kaitlyn Shearer led the team in blocks once again, collecting four with five kills and two service aces.

Hadley Swartz posted seven kills and seven digs, while Jennifer McClendon garnered four kills.

The first set involved a back-and-forth battle as both squads accounted for 15 tie scores and eight lead changes. ULM (8-22, 2-15 Sun Belt) and the Red Wolves (18-8, 13-4 Sun Belt) traded points until the match was tied at 25-25 before Arkansas State took advantage of a late error and a kill by Drew Jones to grab the first set, 27-25.

After taking a two set lead into intermission, the Warhawks and Red Wolves battled it out in a tight third stanza that involved 11 more tie scores and six lead changes. Down 14-18 midway through the set, ULM rallied off to score five of next six points and tie the match at 19-19. However, Arkansas State was able to pull away late and capture the final set, 25-22.

“We had a couple of people that were off tonight,” Hiltz added. “I doubt they will be off again on Sunday. It’s going to be a competitive match.”

The Warhawks return to action for Senior Day as they play their final home match of the season Sunday against Appalachian State. ULM is set to honor seniors Alannah Cullum and Araya before first serve at noon.

Bobcats Claw Past Panthers, 3-1

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State jumped back into the win column with an impressive victory over Georgia State Friday night, beating the Panthers, 3-1 (29-27, 21-25, 25-13, 25-22) behind the work of freshman Jordan Kohl.

Kohl matched her career high in kills with 18 and, with just two errors and 26 attempts, set a new career high in hitting percentage, finishing with a .615. While she paced Texas State in kills, she certainly wasn’t the only contributor for the Bobcats.

Alexandra Simms added 13 kills while Lauren Kirch put down 10 kills on a .316 hitting percentage. In addition, Brooke Smith came up with some pivotal kills to finish with five errorless kills on just eight attempts for a .625 hitting percentage to help the Bobcats finish hitting .285 as a team.

Smith also led the squad in blocks, putting down five on the night to help Texas State finish with 11, six more than Georgia State’s five. Kirch added four blocks, one of which was solo, while Kelsey Weynand and Kohl both had three blocks each.

Sierra Smith and Brenna Lyles both led Texas State in digs with 12 apiece while Simms added eight more. Smith’s passing was on point throughout much of the match, able to get the ball to the setters with multiple diving passes.

Caylin Mahoney and Ali Gonzales teamed up to run the offense, combining for 48 assists. Mahoney added five digs, three kills, two blocks and two aces while Gonzales managed three digs and an ace. Simms added two more aces for five Texas State aces on the night.

The Bobcats rode momentum throughout the match. The first set was back and forth for both teams, but Georgia State went ahead 23-18 late. Texas State responded with a 5-0 run, sparked by consecutive kills from Kohl. Kirch and Weynand put down a block after that, then Kohl followed with another kills. After an error from Georgia State, the Bobcats had tied it up, 23-23.

The teams continued their back and forth from there until the Bobcats scored three consecutive points with kills from Simms and Kohl and a GSU error to finish the first frame on top, 29-27.

Georgia State was able to snag momentum in the second set, coming out with a 14-5 lead. It proved to be too much for Texas State to overcome as the Panthers tied the match, 1-1. After the intermission, though, Texas State dominated the third frame.

Down 10-9, the Bobcats put together an unbelievable run behind the service of Gonzales. Mahoney scored with a setter dump kill to tie it, 10-10, then Gonzales served 10 consecutive points to put the Bobcats up 20-10.

Texas State put down three blocks in the run with kills from Simms, Kohl and Brooke Smith. Smith made her presence known in the third set, striking for three kills and making three blocks. After Georgia State finally stopped the run for one point to make it 20-11, Smith answered with a kill followed by one from Kohl. After a GSU error, Smith struck for another kill to put the Bobcats up 24-11. It wasn’t long before the Bobcats claimed a 2-1 lead in the match.

For the frame, Texas State hit 14 kills with just two errors on 27 attempts for a .444 hitting percentage. The Bobcats would go on to hit .286 with 14 kills in the fourth set and finishing on a 4-0 run to win the match.

Texas State will continue its home stand with a 6:30 p.m. match against Troy on Saturday for the team’s final regular season home match of the year. It will be Texas State’s senior night in which the Bobcats will honor Mahoney, Simms, Gonzales and Brittney Garcia.

Despite Bohannon Double-Double, Panthers Fall 1-3

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Juniors Deidra Bohannon and Eliza Zachary each finished with 17 kills to lead Georgia State’s volleyball team, but the Bobcats of Texas State were too much for the Panthers in San Marcos, Texas on Friday night.

Zachary hit .289 and finished with a block while Bohannon recorded her 12th double-double of the season with 14 digs. Sophomore Molly Shonk also posted 14 digs and junior Kitan Ajanaku had four blocks and four kills. Georgia State was edged out 27-29 by Texas State in the first set, but the Panthers rallied to win Set 2 25-21.

Texas State bounced back with a convincing 25-13 Set 3 victory and sealed the 3-1 win, taking Set 4 from Georgia State by a score of 25-22. The Bobcats improve to 18-11 (13-4 SBC) and Georgia State falls to 9-17 (7-10 SBC) with three matches to go.

We had an opportunity to win the first set, but we struggled to close it out. We can’t give up those opportunities against a well-coached team like Texas State,” head coach Sally Polhamus said. “We fought hard in Set 4 to tie it at 21, but again, we need to learn how to execute at the end of a match.”

Georgia State looked to be in control of the first set, but a well-timed 5-0 run by Texas State tied the set at 23-23. The Panthers had set point three times, but the Bobcats kept the game alive each time before making a 3-0 run to win 29-27.

The Panthers rebounded in Set 2 and led wire-to-wire to claim a 25-21 victory. GSU led by as many as nine before the Bobcats were able to pull close at the end. Zachary fueled the Panther onslaught in the second set and finished with six kills on .750 hitting as GSU outhit Texas State .387 to .211.

The Bobcats went back on the offensive in the third set. Georgia State fell behind early, but rattled off five-straight points to take a 6-4 lead. The Panthers led again at 10-9 before surrendering the lead for good. Texas State would go on to win 25-13.

In a competitive Set 4, Georgia State showed fight and once again held an early lead. Up 10-5, the Panthers gave up an 8-3 run to Texas State. After trading blows, Texas State broke a 16-16 tie and looked to go on top for good, but a late surge by the Panthers knotted the set at 21 and a Zachary kill put GSU on top 22-21. A 4-0 Bobcat run ended the Panthers’ hopes of extending the match to a fifth set.

Georgia State stays on the road for a meeting with UT Arlington on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. The Panthers return home for the final two matches of the season against Troy on Nov. 21 and Appalachian State on Nov. 22.