FOLEY, Ala. - The Georgia State volleyball team fell to Sun Belt regular season champion South Alabama in straight sets (19-25, 20-25, 19-25) Friday night, ending the Panthers 2021 campaign. 

Georgia State ends the 2021 season with an 8-20, 4-12 Sun Belt mark. Although the Panthers dropped Friday's contest, and fell short of the Sun Belt crown, the 2021 season proved to be one of the most exciting seasons in recent years.

The Panthers overcame numerous injuries to reach the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Championship for the first time in program history, while also earning only the second postseason victory since 2004.

Against South Alabama, Georgia State showed a resilient effort but unforced errors proved to be costly for the Panthers. Defensively, the Panthers were led by Ava Vlkovic who tallied 23 digs for the match, marking her eighth contest with 20 or more digs this season.

Offensively, Georgia State was led by Clara Bednarek as she logged seven kills while hitting a team-high .267. Erin Wyatt led the Panthers in the early going as she registered a set-high six kills in the opening set.

Georgia State made each set competitive, but South Alabama consistently pulled away towards the end of every frame with a small run. 

The 2021 season delivered several memorable moments including senior Meisheia Griffin becoming the first player in program history to be tabbed Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, while also becoming the first player since 2014 to earn All-Sun Belt First Team honors.

Among other accolades, senior Leah Wilcox was tabbed to the Academic All-District® Volleyball Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) for the second consecutive year.

Follow along with Georgia State Volleyball and get the latest news on Twitter and Instagram (@GeorgiaStateVB).