Volleyball Rallies for 3-2 Win Over Furman
10/29/2010 2:21:00 AM | Volleyball
STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia Southern battled back from a 22-15 deficit in the fourth set and erased three match points for a 26-24 set win to force a deciding fifth set. The Volleyball Eagles controlled the final set for a 15-9 victory, edging Southern Conference foe Furman 3-2 (25-20, 21-25, 25-27, 26-24, 15-9) Thursday night (October 28) in Hanner Fieldhouse. Bethany Sanford (Avondale, Ariz.) led all players with 21 kills as the Eagles remain perfect at home at 10-0 on the year. Georgia Southern improved to 19-7 overall and 10-1 in league play, while Furman dipped to 13-10, 7-4.
“The fourth set was a huge win for us,” said Head Coach Chad Callihan. “This team has had a never-say-die attitude all season and we've really talked about being able to grind when we're not playing our best volleyball. I thought we displayed that throughout the evening tonight. Towards the end of the match we were able to get some other things going, but I give the team a ton of credit for staying with it and never giving up.”
Three juniors led the Eagle attack led by Sanford with 21 kills. Parker Small (Charlotte, N.C.) followed with 15 and Hannah Nelson (Norcross, Ga.) added 14. Sophomore Kate Van Dyke (Shawnee, Kan.) recorded 58 assists and five Eagles posted double-digit dig performances led by Ashley Roe (Campbell, Calif.) with 22.
Georgia Southern handled the first frame, taking the set 25-20. Sanford posted six kills and helped keep the Paladins to a .049 hitting percentage. The Eagles led 18-13 after a pair of Sanford kills that forced a Paladin timeout. Furman cut the score to 20-17, but Georgia Southern capped the set on three Paladin attack errors for the win.
Furman evened the match with a 25-21 second set win. The Paladins took the lead after a 5-5 tie, but the Eagles rallied to knot the set at 13-all. After three ties that followed, the Eagles took a three-point lead at 20-17. Furman closed the frame on an 8-1 run to take the set.
The third set witnessed 12 ties and four lead changes with the Paladins proving victorious, 27-25. The conference teams kept the set tight to the bitter end. The Eagles held the largest lead of the frame at four points twice early in the set as neither team led by more than two following a 12-12 tie. Knotted at 25-25, Chandler Ambrester gave the Paladins their second set point with her third kill of the frame and a block from Katherine Hall and Caroline Adams capped the win for Furman.
Furman looked on track to take the fourth set, pulling out with a 22-15 lead, but Georgia Southern used an 11-2 run to take the set and force a deciding fifth set. Furman held the lead the majority of the set, taking the lead at 3-2. A 3-0 run sparked by a Van Dyke kill at 22-16 threatened Furman and the Paladins called a timeout. Sanford continued the Eagles' comeback with a kill, drawing the score to 22-19. An Adams kill broke up the run before Georgia Southern cut the score to two points, 23-21. Caroline Adams set up match point for Furman, but the Eagles answered with a 3-0 run to knot the score at 24-24. Two Paladin attack errors sealed the comeback win for the Eagles, 26-24.
Sanford unloaded six kills in the fifth and final set, recording no errors on 10 swings for a .600 hitting percentage. The Eagles hit .370 in the set as both teams combined for only three errors in the frame. The teams battled through five ties before Georgia Southern took the final lead at 8-7. Ambrester made it a one point difference at 9-8 before the Eagles closed out the match on a 6-1 run. Sanford recorded the Eagles' final three points.
Georgia Southern looks to continue its undefeated streak at home welcoming Wofford on Halloween costume night Saturday, October 30. Anyone wearing a Halloween costume or who presents a ticket from the Georgia Southern-Samford football game earlier that day will receive free admission.
“Our kids really play well at home,” noted Callihan. “We've worked very hard to create an exciting environment around here and I think it's really beginning to pay off in the win column for us.”
Live stats and a subscription-based live video will be available for both matches at www.GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com. 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.
“The fourth set was a huge win for us,” said Head Coach Chad Callihan. “This team has had a never-say-die attitude all season and we've really talked about being able to grind when we're not playing our best volleyball. I thought we displayed that throughout the evening tonight. Towards the end of the match we were able to get some other things going, but I give the team a ton of credit for staying with it and never giving up.”
Three juniors led the Eagle attack led by Sanford with 21 kills. Parker Small (Charlotte, N.C.) followed with 15 and Hannah Nelson (Norcross, Ga.) added 14. Sophomore Kate Van Dyke (Shawnee, Kan.) recorded 58 assists and five Eagles posted double-digit dig performances led by Ashley Roe (Campbell, Calif.) with 22.
Georgia Southern handled the first frame, taking the set 25-20. Sanford posted six kills and helped keep the Paladins to a .049 hitting percentage. The Eagles led 18-13 after a pair of Sanford kills that forced a Paladin timeout. Furman cut the score to 20-17, but Georgia Southern capped the set on three Paladin attack errors for the win.
Furman evened the match with a 25-21 second set win. The Paladins took the lead after a 5-5 tie, but the Eagles rallied to knot the set at 13-all. After three ties that followed, the Eagles took a three-point lead at 20-17. Furman closed the frame on an 8-1 run to take the set.
The third set witnessed 12 ties and four lead changes with the Paladins proving victorious, 27-25. The conference teams kept the set tight to the bitter end. The Eagles held the largest lead of the frame at four points twice early in the set as neither team led by more than two following a 12-12 tie. Knotted at 25-25, Chandler Ambrester gave the Paladins their second set point with her third kill of the frame and a block from Katherine Hall and Caroline Adams capped the win for Furman.
Furman looked on track to take the fourth set, pulling out with a 22-15 lead, but Georgia Southern used an 11-2 run to take the set and force a deciding fifth set. Furman held the lead the majority of the set, taking the lead at 3-2. A 3-0 run sparked by a Van Dyke kill at 22-16 threatened Furman and the Paladins called a timeout. Sanford continued the Eagles' comeback with a kill, drawing the score to 22-19. An Adams kill broke up the run before Georgia Southern cut the score to two points, 23-21. Caroline Adams set up match point for Furman, but the Eagles answered with a 3-0 run to knot the score at 24-24. Two Paladin attack errors sealed the comeback win for the Eagles, 26-24.
Sanford unloaded six kills in the fifth and final set, recording no errors on 10 swings for a .600 hitting percentage. The Eagles hit .370 in the set as both teams combined for only three errors in the frame. The teams battled through five ties before Georgia Southern took the final lead at 8-7. Ambrester made it a one point difference at 9-8 before the Eagles closed out the match on a 6-1 run. Sanford recorded the Eagles' final three points.
Georgia Southern looks to continue its undefeated streak at home welcoming Wofford on Halloween costume night Saturday, October 30. Anyone wearing a Halloween costume or who presents a ticket from the Georgia Southern-Samford football game earlier that day will receive free admission.
“Our kids really play well at home,” noted Callihan. “We've worked very hard to create an exciting environment around here and I think it's really beginning to pay off in the win column for us.”
Live stats and a subscription-based live video will be available for both matches at www.GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com. 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.
The GATA Zone - Air Rifle
Thursday, February 19
Walk and Talk: J.I. Clements Stadium
Friday, February 13
2026 Baseball Pre Season Check in
Thursday, February 12
Georgia Southern Football: 2026 State of the Program
Thursday, February 12
