Eagles Fall to Duke and Miami in MT Blue Raider Bash
9/5/2010 3:50:00 AM | Volleyball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Georgia Southern closed out its second fall tournament dropping two matches to Duke and Miami on Saturday (September 4) at the MT Blue Raider Bash. The Eagles took Atlantic Coast Conference foe Duke into five sets – only the second team to do so this season – and fell to the Hurricanes in four. The Eagles dropped to 2-4 on the season.
Match One: Duke
Four Eagles posted double-figure kills against Duke, led by Bethany Sanford (Avondale, Ariz.) with a match-high 19 kills. Hannah Nelson (Norcross, Ga.) followed with 14 and Parker Small (Charlotte, N.C.) added 13. Moriah Bellissimo (Blackstone, Va.) recorded 10 kills. Kate Van Dyke (Shawnee, Kan.) posted 50 assists, while Ashley Roe (Campbell, Calif.) recorded 14 digs.
Georgia Southern opened the contest handing Duke a first set loss, 25-19. The Blue Devils took the early set lead, but the Eagles erased a 5-3 deficit, tying the set at 6-6 and took their first lead thereafter. Duke took its last lead at 9-8 before Georgia Southern put together a 6-0 run helped by three Small kills to harbor a 14-9 lead. The Eagles led by five points four more times and closed out the set edging the Blue Devils by six, 25-19.
Duke responded opening the second set with four unanswered points. The Blue Devils took a five-point lead, 9-4, and continued to widen their margin, forcing an Eagle timeout at 15-7. Duke evened the match with a second set win, 24-15, hitting .556 in the set led by Megan Hendrickson with six kills.
The Blue Devils continued their strong play, taking set three, 25-16, led by Hendrickson and Becci Burling, each posting four kills. But the Eagles knotted the match at 2-sets apiece, taking the fourth, 26-24. Sanford posted seven kills in the set followed by Nelson with five. The Eagles jumped out of the gate taking the early lead and grabbed a four point advantage at 17-13. A Sanford kill to follow gave the Eagles an 18-13 lead, but the Blue Devils charged back, drawing the score to 21-20. Georgia Southern responded with a 3-0 run, handing the Eagles set point at 24-20. Duke held strong fighting off five set points and pulled the set to a 24-24 tie before GS secured the set with a 26-24 win.
In the deciding fifth set, the second for Georgia Southern in as many days, Duke pulled out with a 3-0 lead. The Eagles pulled to within two points at 10-8, but Duke rounded out the match win, 15-10.
Match Two: Miami
Georgia Southern took the third set off Miami, but fell to the Hurricanes, 3-1. Sanford led the Eagles with 22 kills and Van Dyke picked up 44 assists. Roe posted a match-high 22 digs.
The Eagles took a three-point lead at 8-5 off a Small kill, but Miami knotted the score at 9-all and took the set lead thereafter. Tied at 13-apiece, Miami went on a 7-0 run to take a 20-13 lead and closed out the set, 25-17.
Miami took the second set, 25-20, to take a 2-0 match lead. Sanford posted eight kills to lead the Eagles, while the Hurricanes distributed their offense with Ali Becker posting five kills and Alex Johnson and Christine Williamson each posting four. Georgia Southern took a timeout trailing 10-6 and pulled to within two at 12-10. The Eagles continued to keep the set close and at 21-16, Enjoli Johnson (Lilburn, Ga.) sparked a 4-0 GS run, along with two Sanford kills, to close the gap to 21-10. But the Hurricanes answered with a 4-0 run of their own to cap the second set, 25-20.
Sanford's seven kills in the third set helped lead the Eagles to a 25-22 victory. GS led by three, 8-5, following a bad set from Katie Gallagher, but Miami pulled off a brief lead before a Roe kill tied the set at 13-13. Georgia Southern took its final lead with two Sanford kills and pulled out with a 21-18 advantage. Miami closed to within two at 23-21, but Georgia Southern rounded out the set with a Lauren Claybaugh (Danville, Calif.) kill for a 25-22 win.
Miami sealed the match win with a 25-21 fourth set win. The teams kept the set close through an 11-11 tie before the Eagles took a 15-13 lead. Tied at 20-all, the Hurricanes ended the match with a 5-1 run for a 25-21 victory.
After opening the season with six matches on the road, Georgia Southern finally opens its home slate on Monday, September 6 against Savannah State. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. For ticket information, please click here.
Match One: Duke
Four Eagles posted double-figure kills against Duke, led by Bethany Sanford (Avondale, Ariz.) with a match-high 19 kills. Hannah Nelson (Norcross, Ga.) followed with 14 and Parker Small (Charlotte, N.C.) added 13. Moriah Bellissimo (Blackstone, Va.) recorded 10 kills. Kate Van Dyke (Shawnee, Kan.) posted 50 assists, while Ashley Roe (Campbell, Calif.) recorded 14 digs.
Georgia Southern opened the contest handing Duke a first set loss, 25-19. The Blue Devils took the early set lead, but the Eagles erased a 5-3 deficit, tying the set at 6-6 and took their first lead thereafter. Duke took its last lead at 9-8 before Georgia Southern put together a 6-0 run helped by three Small kills to harbor a 14-9 lead. The Eagles led by five points four more times and closed out the set edging the Blue Devils by six, 25-19.
Duke responded opening the second set with four unanswered points. The Blue Devils took a five-point lead, 9-4, and continued to widen their margin, forcing an Eagle timeout at 15-7. Duke evened the match with a second set win, 24-15, hitting .556 in the set led by Megan Hendrickson with six kills.
The Blue Devils continued their strong play, taking set three, 25-16, led by Hendrickson and Becci Burling, each posting four kills. But the Eagles knotted the match at 2-sets apiece, taking the fourth, 26-24. Sanford posted seven kills in the set followed by Nelson with five. The Eagles jumped out of the gate taking the early lead and grabbed a four point advantage at 17-13. A Sanford kill to follow gave the Eagles an 18-13 lead, but the Blue Devils charged back, drawing the score to 21-20. Georgia Southern responded with a 3-0 run, handing the Eagles set point at 24-20. Duke held strong fighting off five set points and pulled the set to a 24-24 tie before GS secured the set with a 26-24 win.
In the deciding fifth set, the second for Georgia Southern in as many days, Duke pulled out with a 3-0 lead. The Eagles pulled to within two points at 10-8, but Duke rounded out the match win, 15-10.
Match Two: Miami
Georgia Southern took the third set off Miami, but fell to the Hurricanes, 3-1. Sanford led the Eagles with 22 kills and Van Dyke picked up 44 assists. Roe posted a match-high 22 digs.
The Eagles took a three-point lead at 8-5 off a Small kill, but Miami knotted the score at 9-all and took the set lead thereafter. Tied at 13-apiece, Miami went on a 7-0 run to take a 20-13 lead and closed out the set, 25-17.
Miami took the second set, 25-20, to take a 2-0 match lead. Sanford posted eight kills to lead the Eagles, while the Hurricanes distributed their offense with Ali Becker posting five kills and Alex Johnson and Christine Williamson each posting four. Georgia Southern took a timeout trailing 10-6 and pulled to within two at 12-10. The Eagles continued to keep the set close and at 21-16, Enjoli Johnson (Lilburn, Ga.) sparked a 4-0 GS run, along with two Sanford kills, to close the gap to 21-10. But the Hurricanes answered with a 4-0 run of their own to cap the second set, 25-20.
Sanford's seven kills in the third set helped lead the Eagles to a 25-22 victory. GS led by three, 8-5, following a bad set from Katie Gallagher, but Miami pulled off a brief lead before a Roe kill tied the set at 13-13. Georgia Southern took its final lead with two Sanford kills and pulled out with a 21-18 advantage. Miami closed to within two at 23-21, but Georgia Southern rounded out the set with a Lauren Claybaugh (Danville, Calif.) kill for a 25-22 win.
Miami sealed the match win with a 25-21 fourth set win. The teams kept the set close through an 11-11 tie before the Eagles took a 15-13 lead. Tied at 20-all, the Hurricanes ended the match with a 5-1 run for a 25-21 victory.
After opening the season with six matches on the road, Georgia Southern finally opens its home slate on Monday, September 6 against Savannah State. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. For ticket information, please click here.
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