ATLANTA - The Georgia State volleyball team returned to the court over the weekend for the first time since last fall at the Bama Spring Fling, hosted by the University of Alabama. The Panthers picked three wins, along with a tie on the first of two weekends of play this spring.
Georgia State defeated Jacksonville State, Southern Miss and Kennesaw State, each 2-0, while tying Mississippi State 1-1.
"The team really came together the whole day," commented assistant coach Ada Bazin. "It was a true team effort. We played with great energy and good focus. The matches today showed some nice previews for what's to come in the future!"
In the opener, the Panthers tied Mississippi State, falling 22-25 in the first set, before rallying for a 25-18 win in set two. Junior Ashley Jones led the Panthers with eight kills and just one error for a .368 hitting percentage. Redshirt-sophomore Vineece Verdun scored five kills, along with two total blocks and a service ace. The team combined for 22 kills, five total blocks and four service aces in the split.
Georgia State followed with a sweep of Jacksonville State, 25-23 and 25-19. Verdun led the Panthers with five kills on just 11 attempts, along with three total blocks. Freshman Jamiee Freeman added three kills and a .400 hitting percentage, while Ashley Jones scored six kills and sophomore Muki Kangwa added five kills. The team finished the match with 20 kills, six total blocks and three service aces.
The Panthers returned to the court in the afternoon and swept two sets from Southern Miss, 25-21 and 25-20. Freeman led the team with nine kills, while both Jones', Ashley and junior Raquel each added five. Verdun finished the match with eight kills on 17 attempts for a .352 hitting percentage. The team scored 29 kills, along with two total blocks and two service aces in the win.
In the final match of the day, Georgia State swept Kennesaw State, 25-15 and 25-21. Ashley Jones led the Panthers with six kills and a .500 hitting percentage. Kangwa finished the match with four kills and just one error on eight attempts, while Verdun finished strong, scoring five kills and a .714 hitting percentage. The team had its best match of the day, scoring 25 kills, six total blocks and four service aces.
Georgia State will return to the court as a part of the Atlanta Invitational on April 4th. The Panthers will open against Florida State at 9 a.m. on the center court of the GSU Sports Arena.
The tournament will continue in bracket format with the Panthers playing at 11 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. at the GSU Sports Arena. All other matches will take place at Georgia Tech.
Among the teams playing in the tournament are Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Troy, College of Charleston, South Alabama, Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State. The tournament is free and open to the public.
Fans can view the attached bracket to see where the teams will be playing over the course of the day.
Full Schedule
Bama Spring Fling
3/27 : 10 a.m. Georgia State vs. Mississippi State, tie: 1-1
11 a.m. Georgia State vs. Jacksonville State, win: 2-0
1 p.m. Georgia State vs. Southern Miss, win: 2-0
2 p.m. Georgia State vs. Kennesaw State, win: 2-0
Atlanta Invitational
4/4: 9 a.m. Georgia State vs. Florida State (GSU Sports Arena)
9 a.m. Auburn vs. Clemson (GSU Sports Arena)
9 a.m. Georgia vs. Troy (Georgia Tech)
9 a.m. Georgia Tech vs. Kennesaw State (Georgia Tech)
Fans can view the bracket above for more information on the Atlanta Invitational.
