STATESBORO, Ga. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) volleyball team fell in its two final matches of the Bash in the Boro against East Carolina (ECU), 3-0 (17-25, 23-25, 15-25) and Georgia Southern (GS), 3-0 (13-25, 23-25, 9-25) on Saturday.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (ECU)
Set one started off as a back-and-forth battle, seeing six tied scores early on. However, with UNCG up 7-6 in set one, the Pirates notched a 4-0 run to take the lead and hold it for the remainder of the set. ECU secured set one 25-17 behind a 7-3 run.
 
The second set was a very close game with the biggest lead margin only being two and featuring 12 ties and four lead changes. With set two tied at 23, the Pirates were able to record a 2-0 run with back-to-back kills to clinch set two, 25-23.
 
The Spartans started off the third set with a 6-1 run. However, ECU responded with an 8-0 run to take the lead and maintain it for the rest of the third set. A final kill from ECU's Francesca McBride gave the Pirates the third and final set, 25-15.

BY THE NUMBERS (ECU)

• Mallory Meers led the Spartans as the setter on Saturday with 28 assists.
• Meers and Daija Jackson led the team with one block apiece.
• Meers, Mya Wood and Valeria Calderon notched 23 digs collectively for UNCG on Saturday.
• Jocelyn Carter led the Blue & Gold at the net with 10 kills.
• Hallie Cook followed closely behind Carter with eight kills, which was a new career game high for the sophomore. Cook also posted two service aces in Saturday's game against the Pirates. 

HOW IT HAPPENED (GS)
The Spartans gained an early 4-2 advantage over GS in the first set, but the Eagles retaliated with a 9-1 run to make the score 11-5 in favor of GS. The Eagles were able to maintain this lead for the remainder of the first set. A kill from the Eagles' Reagan Barth sealed the first set for GS, 25-13.

The second set was more of a back-and-forth game. With the Spartans up 4-2 in set two, the Eagles produced an 8-1 run to take a 10-5 lead over UNCG. However, the Spartans chipped away to come back. A 3-0 run from the Spartans, featuring a kill and back-to-back service aces from Madeline Timmerman brought the Spartans back within one (17-16). The remainder of the second set continued to remain close. With the score 24-20 in favor of the Eagles, UNCG sparked a 3-0 run to come back within one holding GS from the set point. However, a kill from the Eagles finally gave the Statesboro squad set two, 25-23.

The Eagles continued its momentum into set three by starting the set off with a 7-2 lead over the Spartans. GS held this lead for the remainder of the set to gain the third and final set, 25-9.
 
BY THE NUMBERS (GS)

• Meers led the Spartans against GS as the setter with 23 assists.
• Meers, and Wood posted eight digs apiece for team.
• Avery Sziksai followed closely behind with seven digs on the day.
• Aylin Baran led the team with nine kills.
• Sziksai, Timmerman and Meers notched five service aces collectively for the Spartans.

Records
UNCG: 0-3, 0-0, SoCon
ECU: 2-1, 0-0, American
Georgia Southern: 2-0, 0-0, SBC

Up Next
UNCG returns to action at the Marshall Invitational in Huntington, W.Va., next week. The Spartans will face Coppin State at noon and Marshall at 6 p.m. on Friday, September 1, and Akron at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 2.