FOLEY, Ala.– Third-seeded Georgia Southern volleyball (21-7, 11-5 Sun Belt) survived and advanced to the quarterfinals on Thursday, beating Arkansas State (16-14, 6-11 SBC) in four sets.

"Credit to Arkansas State, they came out with a lot of energy today and we had to respond to that," head coach Chad Willis said. "They pressured our attackers to move the ball around. It was a fun match. We gave up a pretty big lead in the second set, but we challenged the team to respond to that and come back."

The Eagles were dealt a tough blow in the first set despite leading as the Red Wolves rallied back to win 27-25. The Eagles led 17-12, but a key 7-1 run was a dagger for Arkansas State.

Things went similarly early on in the second set, as the Eagles fell behind 18-9. Willis called a timeout and allowed the team to regroup, which was important as GS went on an 11-2 run. 

Up 28-27, Chamblee Russell and Megan Vickery combined on a crucial block to seal a 29-27 win and a huge response win for the designated home team.

The momentum completely shifted in the third set as the Eagles sailed to a 25-20 win. Jillian Gray chipped in a couple of late kills, winding up with 17 on the day.

"It took us a second to settle in today, but once we got our footing and started leaning on each other, we were fine," Gray said. "It was a total team effort, and we really stepped up in the big moments."

The final set was in favor of the Eagles late at 24-22, and a Paige Powers kick dig saved the Eagles from the brink. Vickery and Gray responded with a block after it went to the other side, winning 25-22 and the match 3-1.

Reagan Barth (16 kills, 15 digs) and Kirsten Barrett (29 assists, 10 digs) each had double-doubles, while Gray's 17 kills were a match and career-best, also recording five blocks. Vickery (6) and Ally Barnhart (5) led the way for the Eagles in blocks.

Georgia Southern moves on to the quarterfinals to take on South Alabama on Friday at noon Eastern.