MACON, Ga. – Maddie Bryant posted 21 kills, 13 digs and four aces, and Georgia Southern split a pair of matches on opening day of the 2019 season. The Eagles topped Campbell 3-0 in the opener and fell 3-0 to host Mercer in the nightcap.

Eagles of the match vs. Campbell
Carly Turner posted nine kills and a block and hit .400, while Bryant notched 12 kills, nine digs and four aces.

Key moments vs. Campbell
The Eagles set the tone early in the match and scored six of the first eight points, capped by an ace by Landon Jones. GS went on to lead by as many as 14 points before winning the set 25-11 on a Baylor Bumford kill. GS faced some adversity in the second and trailed by as many as four points early in the frame. Clinging to a 16-15 lead, the Eagles scored eight straight points behind the serve of Bryant, who tallied three aces in the run. GS never trailed in the third and broke a 16-16 tie with a 5-0 run, sparked by two blocks and a kill by Bumford.

Eagles of the match vs. Mercer
Bryant collected nine kills and four digs to lead the Eagles, and Jones posted 10 digs.

Key moments vs. Mercer
The Eagles jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the first and led 18-17when Mercer used a 5-2 run to take control of the set. GS led 8-3 in the third when the Bears scored seven straight points and 11 of 13 to open a four-point cushion. The Eagles cut it to two points on a Christina Walton kill and Madison Brown ace, but Mercer capped the match with a 6-1 run.

Quotable from head coach Chad Willis
"We learned a lot about our team today in both matches to open up our season. In the match against Campbell, we were very disciplined and fundamentally sound with first contact. That really enabled us to open up our offense and get a lot of good production out of our attackers. It was great to see the potential we have as a team when we control our priorities offensively and defensively. I'm happy for the team and our staff to start off the season with the win."

"In tonight's match, we showed moments of the kind of team we were earlier in the day. Mercer played a well-executed match, especially with first contact, which put us back on our heels a bit and forced us to press. We got down 0-2 and I told the team I was looking forward to seeing what kind of mindset we were going to have coming out in the third. We fought and picked up our energy but hats off to Mercer, they played a great match."

"Overall coming out of the day, we're pleased with where we are - showing good signs of what we've been emphasizing and prioritizing throughout preseason. Our effort level is there, our bench is doing a great job of keeping us engaged and energized and we'll continue to find ways to be more consistent with execution."

Next up
The Eagles take on Nicholls State in their final match of the weekend Saturday at 11 a.m.