Eagles Sweep Phoenix, 3-0
10/17/2010 9:18:00 PM | Volleyball
STATESBORO, Ga. – Junior outside hitter Bethany Sanford (Avondale, Ariz.) uncorked 15 kills and 13 digs for her 14th double-double of the season leading Georgia Southern to a 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-18) victory over Elon Sunday afternoon (October 17) in Hanner Fieldhouse. Parker Small (Charlotte, N.C.) and Hannah Nelson (Norcorss, Ga.) each added double-figure kill performances as the Eagles improved to 15-7 overall, 6-1 in Southern Conference action and 9-0 at home. Elon, the No. 1 team in the North Division, dipped to 13-11, 5-3.
“We played two of the better teams in our conference this weekend and I feel fortunate to have come out with two good wins,” stated Head Coach Chad Callihan. “I was pleased with the energy in both matches and I was especially pleased with our execution this afternoon. We'll enjoy this win tonight and get right back to the grind before we head out on a three-match road trip this week.”
Small added 12 kills, while Nelson came up with 10 as the junior trio of Nelson, Sanford and Small combined for 37 of the Eagles' 52 kills. Sophomore Kate Van Dyke (Shawnee, Kan.) registered 39 assists, while Ashley Roe (Campbell, Calif.) led in the backcourt with 20 digs.
Tallying eight kills in the opening frame, Sanford led the Eagles to a 25-17 first set win over the Phoenix.
She hit .667 in the set as Georgia Southern quickly climbed out to a 13-7 lead following Sanford's fourth kill of the set. The Eagles pulled out with a seven-point lead at 19-12 to force Elon's second timeout and closed the set with a Sanford kill.
Georgia Southern took set two by the same margin as set one, 25-17, and posted its highest hitting percentage of the match at .556. Sanford registered five kills, while Nelson and Small each added four. The Eagles jumped out with a 4-1 lead, but the Phoenix pulled back to within one point at 9-8. Georgia Southern led by as many as eight points twice before closing out the set win at 25-17.
The Eagles never trailed in the third and final frame, sealing the match 25-18. Small ripped five kills on just seven swings to hit .714 in the set. A quick 6-1 lead out of the gate for the Eagles secured an early lead that was never relinquished. Sarah Gildersleeve (Naples, Fla.) collected the final two Eagle kills for the win.
Georgia Southern hits the road for three matches beginning at Davidson, Oct. 21. The Eagles will visit Western Carolina (Oct. 22) and Appalachian State (Oct. 24) before returning to Statesboro. First serve at Davidson is slated for 6 p.m.
Score updates for all Georgia Southern Volleyball matches will be available at twitter.com/GSScores and fans can get updated information on facebook.com/GSAthletics. Complete coverage of the Eagles can be found at www.GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com.
“We played two of the better teams in our conference this weekend and I feel fortunate to have come out with two good wins,” stated Head Coach Chad Callihan. “I was pleased with the energy in both matches and I was especially pleased with our execution this afternoon. We'll enjoy this win tonight and get right back to the grind before we head out on a three-match road trip this week.”
Small added 12 kills, while Nelson came up with 10 as the junior trio of Nelson, Sanford and Small combined for 37 of the Eagles' 52 kills. Sophomore Kate Van Dyke (Shawnee, Kan.) registered 39 assists, while Ashley Roe (Campbell, Calif.) led in the backcourt with 20 digs.
Tallying eight kills in the opening frame, Sanford led the Eagles to a 25-17 first set win over the Phoenix.
She hit .667 in the set as Georgia Southern quickly climbed out to a 13-7 lead following Sanford's fourth kill of the set. The Eagles pulled out with a seven-point lead at 19-12 to force Elon's second timeout and closed the set with a Sanford kill.
Georgia Southern took set two by the same margin as set one, 25-17, and posted its highest hitting percentage of the match at .556. Sanford registered five kills, while Nelson and Small each added four. The Eagles jumped out with a 4-1 lead, but the Phoenix pulled back to within one point at 9-8. Georgia Southern led by as many as eight points twice before closing out the set win at 25-17.
The Eagles never trailed in the third and final frame, sealing the match 25-18. Small ripped five kills on just seven swings to hit .714 in the set. A quick 6-1 lead out of the gate for the Eagles secured an early lead that was never relinquished. Sarah Gildersleeve (Naples, Fla.) collected the final two Eagle kills for the win.
Georgia Southern hits the road for three matches beginning at Davidson, Oct. 21. The Eagles will visit Western Carolina (Oct. 22) and Appalachian State (Oct. 24) before returning to Statesboro. First serve at Davidson is slated for 6 p.m.
Score updates for all Georgia Southern Volleyball matches will be available at twitter.com/GSScores and fans can get updated information on facebook.com/GSAthletics. Complete coverage of the Eagles can be found at www.GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com.
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