STATESBORO – Georgia Southern delivered a dominant performance on its home court Friday night, knocking off Coastal Carolina 3–1 (25–13, 25–12, 21–25, 25–13) at Hanner Fieldhouse. The win marks Georgia Southern's first victory over Coastal Carolina since 2021, snapping a multi-season drought against the conference foe.

"I'm really proud for our group," head coach Chad Willis said. "I thought a team did a great job in preparation all week. Credit to our staff for the game plan they put together, and the girls competed hard tonight and stayed present in all the moments – even that third set, when we got down and battled back. Just great effort all around."

The Eagles controlled the match from the start, hitting .471 in the opening frame and never allowing the Chanticleers to settle into rhythm.

Reagan Barth led the way with 15 kills on .282 hitting and added three blocks as Georgia Southern's offense clicked at a .350 team mark. Sam Bowron was efficient on the outside as well, posting 13 kills and three aces, while Alex Myers added 10 kills and a match-high six blocks to fuel a strong defensive night at the net. Setter Kirsten Barrett guided the attack with 39 assists and 14 digs for a double-double performance.

The Eagles' defensive presence proved crucial, holding Coastal to just .127 hitting on the night and out-digging the Chants 68–58 to control the tempo at the net and in the back row.

Georgia Southern rolled to convincing wins in the first two sets before Coastal Carolina pushed back in the third behind a 20-kill team effort in the frame. Georgia Southern quickly regained momentum in the fourth, overpowering the Chanticleers with 14 kills and another dominant defensive showing to close out the match.

With the win, Georgia Southern improves to 17–5 overall and 8–3 in Sun Belt play, staying tight in the conference race while handing Coastal Carolina just its third league loss of the season.