Volleyball Opens SpringHill Suites Eagle Invitational with 3-1 Victory
9/14/2012 2:01:25 AM | Volleyball
VIDEO: Post-match interview with Head Coach Chad Callihan
VIDEO: Kym Coley">Post-match interview with Sophomore MB Kym Coley
VIDEO: Kate Van Dyke">Post-match interview with Senior S Kate Van Dyke
STATESBORO, Ga. – Kym Coley tallied 12 kills and three blocks, and Meredith Paskert added 10 kills and two blocks to lead Georgia Southern to a 3-1 (25-17, 25-23, 21-25, 25-19) volleyball victory over South Alabama in the opening match of the SpringHill Suites Eagle Invitational Thursday night in Hanner Fieldhouse.
Enjoli Johnson booked nine kills and four blocks, while Moriah Bellissimo collected eight kills and 16 digs for the Eagles (7-4). Kate Van Dyke posted 39 assists and 12 digs, and Alexandra Beecher added 20 digs.
Melissa Waelter posted 13 kills and 13 digs to lead South Alabama (5-6), and Savannah Stewart had 11 kills and 13 digs. Katariina Kananen finished with 36 assists and nine digs, and Jenna Hassell had 20 digs.
Defense led Georgia Southern in the match as the Eagles, who entered the night ranked sixth in the country in digs per set, tallied 67 digs and seven blocks and held the Jaguars to a .131 hitting percentage for the match. South Alabama had negative hitting percentages in the first and fourth sets.
Leading the match 2-1, Georgia Southern used a 6-1 run to break a 7-7 tie and gain some breathing room in the fourth set. Coley and Johnson notched kills during the stretch. The Jaguars fought back to 16-13, but Bellissimo and Coley notched kills, and Nicole Jeschelnik got an ace to push the lead to 21-15. The Eagle lead never shrank below five for the rest of the way.
After Georgia Southern took the first set 25-17, the second set was back and forth until the Eagles scored the last two points of the frame. With the GSU ahead 24-23, Coley's kill put the Eagles up 2-0 in the match.
"I was really pleased with Kym's all-around game, both offensively and defensively," said Georgia Southern head coach Chad Callihan. "I think it's her finest performance as an Eagle. We had a game plan, and she executed well and came through at some crucial moments."
Georgia Southern returns to action in the tournament tomorrow night when the Eagles host Wisconsin at 7 p.m. in Hanner Fieldhouse. The tournament continues tomorrow at 10 a.m. as Wisconsin takes on Savannah State.
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