Volleyball Falls in Four to Toledo

TAMPA, Fla. --- Georgia Southern junior Cristin Haines (Palos Heights, Ill.) set a new school record for digs in a match in the Eagles' 3-1 (25-18, 25-19, 22-25, 25-23) loss to Toledo Saturday at the USF Tournament.

GSU falls to 6-7 and will close out the weekend with a match against Harvard at 5 p.m.

“I thought they competed well I just didn't think they executed well enough,” said GSU head coach Chad Callihan. “We had a game plan of some things we wanted to try and do, and we really didn't start implementing it until the third game and that's when you see the score swing in our favor. Those first two games we really weren't playing with a purpose and it cost us in the end.”

Haines' total of 39 is an overall and four-set record, surpassing Flavia Pereira who totaled 35 on Aug. 25, 2007 vs. Stetson.

“She's just phenomenal,” said Callihan. “She's been so critical for us on the floor in all phases both defensively and her serve-receive passing. We've been able to funnel some attacks her direction and she just makes play after play for us. She's incredibly steady and beyond that she brings intangibles to the floor ? we're starting four freshmen right now ? and she's doing a good job of keeping those kids focused and in the game.

Toledo used a 7-0 run to close out set one and outscored the Eagles 11-5 to wrap up the second set. Georgia Southern rallied to edge out the Rockets in set three and came back from a 22-18 deficit to tie UT in the fourth frame but two straight kills from Amber DeWeerdt, her 19th and 20th of the match, finished off the Eagles.

The Rockets hit .287 as a team through the first two sets compared to .041 for the Eagles.

Freshman Parker Small (Charlotte, N.C.) recorded double-figure kills for the second straight match with a team-high 12 and added four blocks, two solo. Classmate Bethany Sanford (Avondale, Ariz.) recorded a double-double with 11 kills and 12 digs and sophomore Sarah Gildersleeve (Naples, Fla.) posted eight blocks.

Toledo had four players in double-digit kills led by DeWeerdt and Kassie Kadera tallied 52 assists.

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