Georgia Southern 3, UNCG 0 (PDF)
STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia Southern jumped out to leads early in every set and held off UNCG each time as the Spartans fell to the Eagles 3-0 at Hanner Fieldhouse Saturday afternoon.
The Spartans (10-9, 4-3) struggled offensively, posting just 33 kills and hitting .165. Meanwhile the Southern Division-leading Eagles (15-6, 6-1) fired at a .306 clip with 47 kills. The teams did not give each other much chance to play defense, as they combined for just 84 digs (43 for UNCG). The Blue and Gold recorded five blocks to win the battle at the net, limiting GSU to 4.0.
UNCG had trouble hitting the ball inside the lines offensively in the first set, leading to an 8-2 lead for GSU. The Spartans then got their block going, pulling within 10-7 when Chambers put down a kill. The momentum didn't last long, as UNCG had trouble passing - leading to easy kills at the net for the Eagles. The advantage grew to 17-11 before the Spartans called timeout.
The respite worked as UNCG put together four-straight points to make the score 17-15. It was then the Eagles' turn for a run as a ball-handling error by
Emily McMurtrey gave the home team a 22-17 lead. The Spartans could not recover as GSU took the first frame by a 25-19 score.
The second interval was tight at first but the Eagles took advantage of some UNCG hitting errors and moved in front 11-7. A kill by Moriah Bellissimo extended GSU's lead to 14-9 before the Spartans signaled for timeout. Upon resumption of play, senior
Ari Lysacek entered the lineup, marking her first action since Sept. 4 at High Point.
A Kym Coley kill made the score 18-13 as the teams traded points over the next eight rallies. UNCG tried to rally a final time, drawing to within 21-18 on a Lysacek ace, but it was not quite enough. The Eagles scored four of the final seven points to clinch the set 25-21 and take a 2-0 match lead.
The Spartans' passing broke down at the beginning of the third frame, allowing GSU to take a 5-1 lead. A kill by freshman
Julia Westerbur helped UNCG rally to within 10-8, but the Eagles had the answer once again. Georgia Southern went on a 5-3 run to establish some breathing room before closing out the match with a 25-21 set three win.
The Blue and Gold closes the weekend tomorrow, traveling to Davidson for a 2 p.m. match.
- UNCG -
