WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

> Georgia State earned their first win of the 2020 season in a nail-biting five-set match at the GSU Sports Arena. 

> Leah Wilcox led the offensive effort with 19 kills.

> The Panthers will open Sun Belt play next weekend with a trio of matches at Troy. 

ATLANTA. -- Georgia State outlasted Mercer (25-22, 18-25, 24-26, 25-15, 15-7 ) at the GSU Sports Arena Friday evening. The victory marks the first win for the Panthers on the young 2020 season.  

A trio of Georgia State seniors notched double-digit kills in the performance. Hadzic notched 12 for her first double-digit kills outing of the year. Leah Wilcox and Meisheia Griffin accumulated 19 and 10 kills respectively,  marking the second double-digit kills performance by both players. 

The Panthers and Bears played a tight back and forth match from the beginning. Jordan Shoemaker, the second year setter, connected with various hitters to accumulate a .375 hitting percentage in the first. This provided GSU a consistent edge throughout the frame. Wilcox secured the one-set lead with two kills deep in Mercer territory.

The Bears came out strong in the second and did not look back. Mercer continuously found holes in the Georgia State defense to knot the match behind a .452 hitting percentage. With the game tied one a piece, the Panthers became more scrappy and aggressive on defense. GSU slowed down the Mercer offense throughout much of the third, but a late 6-1 scoring run by the Bears would propel Mercer to a  2-1 lead. 

Georgia State found themselves in a must win situation in the fourth set for the second time this year. GSU's seniors kept a calm demeanor on the court, which helped the younger players remain focused. GSU reduced their unforced errors to maintain serve. Ava Vlkovic, the Sun Belt leader in service aces per set, kept the momentum at the baseline with consecutive service aces. The clean effort by Georgia State knotted the match at two a piece. 

In the deciding set, GSU took a commanding 4-1 lead to start the set. Georgia State kept their positive energy throughout the entirety of the frame to eventually cap off the night with a 15-7 victory. 

Friday's match marks the second and final non-conference contest on the 2020 schedule. The Panthers will open conference play next weekend with a trio of matches at Troy. Action begins Friday, Sept. 25 at 12:00 p.m

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