STATESBORO, Ga. – UNCG had a set point in the first set, but Georgia Southern battled back to win the opening set en route to defeating the Spartans, 3-0 (27-25, 25-11, 25-22), on Friday evening in Hanner Fieldhouse.
The Spartans fell to 16-6 this season and 4-3 in the Southern Conference with the loss, while the Eagles are now 14-7 overall and 5-1 in the SoCon.
Ari Lysacek had the lone double-double for UNCG as she posted 18 assists and 11 digs. Ariel Newman led the Spartans offensively with 10 kills and Kellie Orewiler had a team-high 13 digs.
Parker Small had a match-high 13 kills for the Eagles and Bethany Sanford chipped in 11 kills of her own. Sanford also had a match-high 18 digs for a double-double and Kate Van Dyke recorded a match-high 40 assists.
The opening set was extremely tight between the two teams as there were 16 ties and seven lead changes in the first set. After a UNCG error, the Spartans trailed 11-8, but they rallied to win the next five points to go ahead, 13-11. The Eagles battled back to eventually tie the match at 18 before the teams began to trade points.
Tied at 23 late in the set, UNCG got a kill from Olivia Humphries to have set point at 24-23, but Georgia Southern came back to win the next two points to have set point itself. The Spartans held that off by winning the next point to tie it at 25, but once again the Eagles took the following two points to win the set, 27-25.
In the second set, the Spartans took led 5-4 early in the set before Georgia Southern took an 8-5 advantage. It was a lead the Eagles wouldn't relinquish as they closed out the set on a 13-3 run to win the set, 25-11, and take a 2-0 lead into intermission.
The Spartans came out flat out of the locker room in the third set as they fell behind 6-1. UNCG continued to chip away at the Georgia Southern lead and came within one at 19-18. The Spartans once again trimmed it to one at 23-22, but Georgia Southern put the match away by winning the next two points to win the set, 25-22.
The Spartans will wrap up their weekend road trip with a match at Davidson on Sunday at 4 p.m.
AGATE
Georgia Southern def. UNCG 27-25, 25-11, 25-22
UNCG (16-6, 4-3 SoCon) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Ariel Newman 10-0-0; Kayren Finney 6-0-2; Olivia Humphries 6-0-5; Billi Baker 5-0-2; Ari Lysacek 2-1-0; Karrian Chambers 2-0-1; Kellie Orewiler 1-1-0; Caley Redden 1-1-2; Alissa Beaudway 0-0-2; Totals 33-3-7.0. (Assists) - Ari Lysacek 18. (Dig leaders) - Kellie Orewiler 13; Ari Lysacek 11
Georgia Southern (14-7, 5-1 SoCon) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Parker Small 13-0-2; Bethany Sanford 11-0-4; Hannah Nelson 8-0-0; Moriah Bellissimo 6-1-0; Lauren Claybaugh 5-0-0; Sarah Gildersleeve 4-0-2; Kate Van Dyke 3-1-0; Hayli Ketner 0-1-0; Lauren LaRocque 0-1-0; Totals 50-4-4.0. (Assists) - Kate Van Dyke 40. (Dig leaders) - Bethany Sanford 18; Ashley Roe 14; Kate Van Dyke 8
Site: Statesboro, Ga. (Hanner Fieldhouse)
Date: Oct 15, 2010 Attend: 523 Time: 1:25
Referees: Keith Murlless, Suzanne Lowry
- UNCG -
