Eagles Fall to Hawaii in Season Opener

Saturday, August 29

Manoa, HI

1 a.m.

Georgia Southern University

0-1,0-0Sun Belt

Hawaii

1-0,0-0Mountain West

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Ga. Southern	18	20	25	18	1
Hawaii	25	25	17	25	3

8/29/2026 4:39:00 AM | Volleyball

Box Score

HONOLULU, HI — Georgia Southern (0-1, 0-0 Sun Belt) fell to Hawaii (1-0, 0-0 Mountain West) in a 3-1 match at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center on Friday night, with set scores of 18-25, 20-25, 25-17, and 18-25. The Eagles recorded 49 kills and 63 digs in the match, highlighted by a .375 hitting percentage in the third set.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
- Georgia Southern started strong with a 2-0 lead, highlighted by a kill from Beka Pfefferkorn.
- Hawaii responded with a 3-0 run, including a kill from Tali Hakas, to take a 5-3 advantage.
- Midway through the set, Hawaii extended its lead to 13-10 with a service ace by Adrianna Arquette.
- Tali Hakas led Hawaii with multiple kills down the stretch, helping secure a 25-18 set win.

Second Set
- The Eagles took an early 4-2 lead after Reagan Barth and Kayla Knowles each recorded kills, capitalizing on attack errors from Hawaii.
- Hawaii responded with a 5-0 run, featuring two service aces and a kill by Tali Hakas, to move ahead 13-9.
- Georgia Southern rallied to close the gap to 19-18, with Barth adding two more kills, but Hawaii maintained its lead.
- Hawaii finished the set strong, closing with a kill from Tali Hakas to win the set 25-20.

Third Set
- Georgia Southern opened with a 4-1 lead, capitalizing on two kills by Pfefferkorn.
- Hawaii responded with a 5-0 run, highlighted by a service ace from Rachel Purser, to take a 5-4 lead.
- The Eagles regained momentum with a series of kills, including a decisive stretch at 15-11 led by Pfefferkorn.
- Georgia Southern closed the set 25-17, ending on an attack error by Hawaii.

Fourth Set
- The Eagles started strong with a kill from Kayla Knowles and Anna Powell, taking an early 2-1 lead.
- Hawaii responded with consecutive points from Miliana Sylvester and Maeli Cormier to move ahead 3-2.
- A brief exchange of errors and kills saw the score tied at 8-8, highlighted by a key kill from Barth.
- Hawaii gained momentum late, with Cormier and Adrianna Arquette contributing vital kills to extend its lead to 23-17.
- Hawaii closed the set with a kill from Arquette, securing a 25-18 set win and the match victory.

NOTES
- Pfefferkorn achieved 13 kills, hit .379, and collected 13 points.
- Ekeler achieved 16 set assists for the first time this season.
- Duffy achieved 21 set assists for the first time this season.
- Cugino recorded 21 digs, marking a first-time achievement this season.
- Barth registered a season-high total of 14 kills, adding nine digs, 14.5 points, and hitting .306.
- Ekeler made her collegiate debut and registered the first serve of the 2026 season for the Eagles.

QUOTES
Chad Willis reflected on the recent match against Hawaii, acknowledging the challenges faced by the Eagles. "Tough night from a results standpoint. I thought we dug ourselves a pretty early hole," Willis said. He credited Hawaii's strong performance, particularly from the service line, which disrupted the offensive rhythm. Despite making strategic changes in the third set, where Georgia Southern recorded 17 kills at a .375 hitting percentage, the team struggled to maintain momentum. "We settled in as the match went on, but unfortunately ran out of gas," Willis noted. He emphasized the positive aspects of the experience, highlighting the lively atmosphere at Bankoh Arena with 5,542 attendees, and expressed optimism about learning from the encounter as the team prepares for the remainder of the season.

UP NEXT
Looking ahead, the Eagles will face San Diego on Saturday, Aug. 29 at 10 p.m. at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center in Manoa, Hawaii.