GREENVILLE, S.C.– Georgia Southern volleyball wrapped up its preseason with a five-set exhibition win over Furman at a packed Alley Gymnasium, paving the way for the regular season to begin next Friday.
"The crowd was awesome, they packed it in and made it an intimate environment for an exhibition game," head coach
Chad Willis said. "Right out of the gate, that's good for us. I'm proud of our team's effort, we showed a lot of grit, and all in all, I thought it was a good day."
The Eagles got the festivities started on a high note, cruising to a 25-16 win to open things. 12 kills and a pair of blocks highlighted the opening set.
Furman snatched a victory back in set two, taking a hard-fought 25-20 matchup. The Eagles once again contributed 12 kills to their side of the box score.
The third set, despite going Furman's way, was perhaps the most impressive. It was a marathon, finishing 32-30 in favor of the home team. The score was tied seven times after the Paladins reached the 25th point, but ultimately won the battle.
Down by as much as five at one point in the fourth set, Georgia Southern stormed back, snatching a come-from-behind 25-23 win to knot the set score. Staying consistent, the squad racked up another 13 kills.
While the match was always going to be five sets, it was necessary as the teams entered deadlocked at two. The Eagles dominated from the jump, scoring four of the first five points and ultimately winning 15-12.
"I called a timeout and was looking for some people to step up after that marathon set," Willis said. "If that's how we're going to respond after getting down, it's going to pay dividends for the rest of the season."
GS finished with 71 kills, 63 assists, seven aces and 17 total blocks to earn the five-set triumph.
The Eagles will be back in action to open the regular season on Friday at 6:00 p.m., hosting East Carolina in the Bash in the 'Boro.