MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Skylar Ball posted 20 kills in two matches and earned all-tournament honors as Georgia Southern split a pair of volleyball contests in the Diet Coke Classic at Maturi Pavilion Saturday.

The Eagles (1-5) posted a 3-0 victory over North Dakota State (1-5) in their evening match after falling 3-0 to the third-ranked Golden Gophers (5-0) in the morning.

Key moments vs. NDSU
The Eagles trailed 25-24 in the second set but fought off set point with a kill by Reichard before Bryant put down a ball and Reichard posted another kill to give GS the 27-25 win.

Eagle of the Match vs. NDSU
Maddie Bryant notched 12 kills and three blocks and hit a match-high .423.

Key Stats vs. Minnesota
The Golden Gophers posted 12.5 blocks and held the Eagles to .020 hitting for the match.  Adonna Rollins also served up four aces for Minnesota.

Eagle of the Match vs. Minnesota
Ball notched eight kills and a block and hit .316 for the Eagles.

Quotables from coach Dustin Wood
"What a complete team effort tonight! It was a complete game that we were in control of everything we did, and it showed in the result and statistically. I'm so proud of our players tonight. They stuck through the very tough schedule we put together in our first two weeks. The staff saw that we were getting better playing some tough matches early, and our kids finally saw it too tonight."

"Maddie (Bryant) had an outstanding match tonight hitting .423 on the pin, which is outstanding. Skylar put the ball away on the right hitting .381. Carly was great hitting .267. Our pins finally clicked and did the right things we have been asking them, and our middles did a good job of freeing up the pins." 

"Madison (Brown) ran a very balanced offense tonight. She learned a lot from her first start yesterday and made good decisions which is a direct result of our team hitting percentage of .297."

"I'm really proud of our back line defense and passing. We had a rough go in the morning versus Minnesota, but they changed their mindset and gave us balls to be able to run our offense. Jos (Morrow) led the group with key digs and passes. Toot (Ryan Tuten), Brooke (Birch), and Katelynn (Riner) all put solid performances together tonight."

"I'm so proud of the team and the performance we put together. My staff is doing a great job. This match has given us the confidence we need, and we are looking forward to coming home for our home opener on Tuesday night. We're looking to put a win streak together and more importantly play consistently well like we did tonight."

Next Up
Georgia Southern plays its home opener against North Florida Tuesday, Sept. 4, at 6:30 p.m. at Alumni Arena on the Georgia Southern Armstrong Campus. Admission is free, and it's the first intercollegiate sporting event on the Georgia Southern Armstrong Campus in Savannah since the consolidation. The Armstrong Campus bookstore is extending its hours until 7 p.m. for Eagles fans and has all new GS gear. Promotions: T-Shirt Giveaway, Food Trucks, Youth Night and post-game autographs.