STATESBORO– Georgia Southern volleyball (11-2, 1-1 Sun Belt) saw its six-game win streak and eight-game home win streak snapped at the hands of Arkansas State (11-3, 1-1 SBC) on Saturday afternoon.
"Tough result today, but we had stretches of some really solid play," head coach
Chad Willis said. "We ultimately struggled to execute in some key moments, particularly in the back third of the sets we lost. It was a good learning opportunity we will have to lean into going into our first conference weekend on the road."
Each team battled hard in the first set, but ultimately, the Red Wolves emerged on top after hitting .289 in the opening frame. It was the first of three sets that finished within three points, taking it 25-22.
GS stormed to a 7-3 lead in the second set and never looked back, as
Reagan Barth emphatically closed out a 25-16 set two win to even the match. Barth had six kills in the frame as the Eagles got back in it.
Arkansas State won the final two sets by two and three points, respectively, despite hitting just a little worse across both. GS started set four with a 5-0 run, but the visitors battled back. It was a 24-23 game heading into set point, but Arkansas State's Yazmyn Billings closed out the weekend with a kill.
Chamblee Russell's 17 kills were a new season high, leading all players.
Ailie Hair recorded four total blocks, while
Kirsten Barrett's 22 assists led the Eagles.
Georgia Southern heads to the road for a weekend at Old Dominion, taking on the Monarchs on Friday.