Volleyball Drops Close Decision to Southern Mississippi
9/4/2010 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Bethany Sanford collected a team-high 19 kills, but could not push Georgia Southern past Southern Mississippi in the opening match of the MT Blue Raider Bash (Sept. 3). Trailing 2-1, the Golden Eagles battled back to take the win in five sets, 3-2. Georgia Southern moved to 2-2 on the season, while USM improved to 4-0.
Sanford (Avondale, Ariz.) led the Eagles with 19 kills, posting her second double-double of the season with 12 digs. The junior added three block assists and a service ace, while sophomore Moriah Bellissimo (Blackstone, Va.) added 13 kills and 10 digs. Junior transfer Ashley Roe (Campbell, Calif.) tied Sanford for the team-high with 12 digs as sophomore setter Kate Van Dyke (Shawnee, Kan.) posted a match-high 51 assists. Freshman Enjoli Johnson (Lilburn, Ga.), making her first appearance as an Eagle, posted six block assists and a solo block.
For the Golden Eagles, Ashley Mell led with a match-high 24 kills, while Lisa Knecht recorded 20 digs. Kelsea Seymour posted 48 assists.
After dropping the first set, 25-13, the Eagles evened the match grabbing the second, 25-22. Southern Mississippi took a 3-0 lead out of the gate, but Georgia Southern brought the match back to within one point twice before the Golden Eagles took a three-point advantage at 6-3. The teams traded the lead through a 12-12 tie before USM pulled away with a 17-13 advantage using a quartet of kills. The Eagles reciprocated with a 6-2 run of their own to knot the score at 19-19. Two service aces and a kill from the Golden Eagles put USM back in front, 22-19, before the Eagles surged ahead and closed out the set win on a 6-1 run. Sanford posted three kills in the run which was ignited by a Parker Small (Charlotte, N.C.) kill.
Georgia Southern took its final lead in the third set following a 2-2 tie. USM kept the match close, trailing by one at 14-13 moments before the Eagles pulled away, leading 17-14. A service error from the Golden Eagles jumpstarted a 7-1 Eagle run as Georgia Southern took a 23-15 lead. USM posted three unanswered, but Johnson and Hannah Nelson (Norcross, Ga.) closed out the set for the Eagles, 25-19.
The Eagles took a 3-1 lead to open set four, but the Golden Eagles tied the set six times before taking a two-point lead, 12-10. Georgia Southern knotted the score three times, regaining the lead at 18-15. Tied at 19-apiece, a Mell kill returned the advantage to the Golden Eagles who finished out the set, 25-22, to force a deciding fifth set.
Small started the fifth set with a kill, but USM responded with four unanswered for a 4-1 lead. Sanford drew the set back to a one-point contest, 5-4, and a ball handling error by Lauren Sears tied the set at 6-all. The Eagles held strong after a 3-2 USM run set the score at 9-8, pulling the match back to one point at 11-10. But the Golden Eagles sealed the match win, 15-11.
Georgia Southern continues tournament action on Saturday facing two Atlantic Coast Conference foes for the first time. The Eagles face off against Duke at 4 p.m. and wrap up the tournament with an 8 p.m. matchup against Miami. Fans can follow the action via live stats by clicking here and can listen to the matches live by clicking here.
Sanford (Avondale, Ariz.) led the Eagles with 19 kills, posting her second double-double of the season with 12 digs. The junior added three block assists and a service ace, while sophomore Moriah Bellissimo (Blackstone, Va.) added 13 kills and 10 digs. Junior transfer Ashley Roe (Campbell, Calif.) tied Sanford for the team-high with 12 digs as sophomore setter Kate Van Dyke (Shawnee, Kan.) posted a match-high 51 assists. Freshman Enjoli Johnson (Lilburn, Ga.), making her first appearance as an Eagle, posted six block assists and a solo block.
For the Golden Eagles, Ashley Mell led with a match-high 24 kills, while Lisa Knecht recorded 20 digs. Kelsea Seymour posted 48 assists.
After dropping the first set, 25-13, the Eagles evened the match grabbing the second, 25-22. Southern Mississippi took a 3-0 lead out of the gate, but Georgia Southern brought the match back to within one point twice before the Golden Eagles took a three-point advantage at 6-3. The teams traded the lead through a 12-12 tie before USM pulled away with a 17-13 advantage using a quartet of kills. The Eagles reciprocated with a 6-2 run of their own to knot the score at 19-19. Two service aces and a kill from the Golden Eagles put USM back in front, 22-19, before the Eagles surged ahead and closed out the set win on a 6-1 run. Sanford posted three kills in the run which was ignited by a Parker Small (Charlotte, N.C.) kill.
Georgia Southern took its final lead in the third set following a 2-2 tie. USM kept the match close, trailing by one at 14-13 moments before the Eagles pulled away, leading 17-14. A service error from the Golden Eagles jumpstarted a 7-1 Eagle run as Georgia Southern took a 23-15 lead. USM posted three unanswered, but Johnson and Hannah Nelson (Norcross, Ga.) closed out the set for the Eagles, 25-19.
The Eagles took a 3-1 lead to open set four, but the Golden Eagles tied the set six times before taking a two-point lead, 12-10. Georgia Southern knotted the score three times, regaining the lead at 18-15. Tied at 19-apiece, a Mell kill returned the advantage to the Golden Eagles who finished out the set, 25-22, to force a deciding fifth set.
Small started the fifth set with a kill, but USM responded with four unanswered for a 4-1 lead. Sanford drew the set back to a one-point contest, 5-4, and a ball handling error by Lauren Sears tied the set at 6-all. The Eagles held strong after a 3-2 USM run set the score at 9-8, pulling the match back to one point at 11-10. But the Golden Eagles sealed the match win, 15-11.
Georgia Southern continues tournament action on Saturday facing two Atlantic Coast Conference foes for the first time. The Eagles face off against Duke at 4 p.m. and wrap up the tournament with an 8 p.m. matchup against Miami. Fans can follow the action via live stats by clicking here and can listen to the matches live by clicking here.
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