Box Score

MOBILE, Ala. – Jamie DeRatt tallied 13 kills and eight digs, while Katalin Minnerly collected 40 assists and 12 digs to lead Georgia Southern to a 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-17) volleyball victory over Southern Utah at the Jaguar Invitational Friday evening.
 
It was the women's volleyball head coaching debut for Dustin Wood, who took over the Eagle program in July. It was also the season opener for both teams and the 14^th win in the last 15 matches for Georgia Southern, dating back to last season.
 
DeRatt hit .462 in the match and added two blocks, while Katie Bange recorded 10 kills. Crysten Curry posted nine kills, and Kym Coley added eight. Alexandra Beecher had a match-high 15 digs, and Nicole Jeschelnik recorded 13 digs and six kills.
 
Kylie Schofield led Southern Utah (0-1) with 12 kills.
 
Georgia Southern (1-0) hit .376 as a team, including .478 in the third set, when the Eagles collected 13 kills on 23 swings.
 
The Eagles never trailed in the first set and jumped out to a 7-2 lead. Georgia Southern maintained a four or five-point working margin until a Schofield kill and an Eagle ball-handling error trimmed the margin to 24-22, but Minnerly set DeRatt for a kill to end the frame.
 
With the Eagles leading 11-10 in the second set, DeRatt got a kill and served three straight points to open a 15-10 cushion. The margin grew to 23-15 on a DeRatt kill en route to a 25-22 victory. A 5-1 Eagle run in the third set turned a two-point lead into a 15-10 advantage. The margin grew to as many as eight points after a Curry kill, and Georgia Southern finished the match by winning the set 25-17.
 
Georgia Southern is back in action tomorrow as they face Tennessee State at 10 a.m. in the Jaguar Invitational. The Eagles also face host South Alabama at 7 p.m.
 
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics and twitter.com/GSAthletics, and its "Eagles GATA" mobile app for Android and iOS.