Scores: Kennesaw State 2, FGCU 3 (23-25, 25-14, 26-24, 17-25, 8-15)
Records: Kennesaw State (10-5, 2-2), FGCU (12-7, 3-1)
Key Players: Anaiah Boyer (17 kills and 19 digs), Maddie Jones (30 digs), Kristi Piedimonte (44 assists)
 
Box Score (XML) | Box Score (PDF) 

KENNESAW, Ga. – In an intense road matchup with the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, the Kennesaw State volleyball team lost a heartbreaker in five sets.
 
FGCU used its home court advantage to take a lead early in the first set. They pushed their lead to 19-10 when the Owls responded. KSU won 11 of the next 14 points to get within two at 23-21. With Piedimonte serving, the Owls got the deficit down to one at 24-23, but the Eagles won the point to end the rally and clinch the set.
 
Coming into the second, Kennesaw State carried the momentum they gained at the end of the first. Leading 13-11, the Owls closed the set on a 12-3 run behind Anaiah Boyer and Maddie Jones serving. As a team, the Owls hit .522 in the second set.
 
In the third set, KSU needed two comebacks to take a 2-1 lead. FGCU had the edge early leading 4-1, but Kennesaw State came back to even the score at seven. Needing to rally once again trailing 18-14. Two kills by Boyer and a kill by Sydni Shelton sparked a 6-1 run to take a 20-19 lead. The Eagles held off one set point, but couldn't hold off the second as An. Boyer and Megan McGuinness got a block to win the set and go up 2-1.
 
In the fourth set, Kennesaw State trailed early in the set once again at 6-2. When the Owls tried to even it up, Gulf Coast used an early timeout leading 8-6 to stall the KSU's momentum. Coming out of the timeout, the Eagles went on a 3-0 run to go up 11-6 and didn't look back from there taking the fourth set 25-17 to force a fifth set.
 
Early in the fifth, both teams traded points back and forth with each point won feeling like a haymaker for both teams. With the score tied at three, FGCU went on a 9-1 run to take a 12-4 lead and didn't let the Owls come back from there. 
 
KSU will be back at it tomorrow against Stetson at 3 p.m. in Deland, Florida.
 
Coach Schunzel on the way his Team Bounced Back after a Loss
"The lesson of the night is that when you have a team on the ropes, especially on the road, you have to close the match. We were up 2-1 playing well mid-way through the fourth and weren't able to put our foot on the gas and finish them off. I was proud that we played hard and that we battled, but we have to learn to finish teams off when we have them down."
Kennesaw State Head Coach Keith Schunzel

 Notes
- This is the first five-set match that Kennesaw State has lost all season. Previously, they were 3-0.
- The 19 digs An. Boyer had were a career high for her. She previously had a career high of 18  that she set against Georgia State.
- Boyer also had 17 kills tonight against the Eagles giving her a double-double. It was her fourth double-double of the year and second one in a row.
- Maddie Jones set a career high with 30 digs in the match. It is the second time this season an Owl has had 30 digs.
- Megan McGuinness led the team with six blocks.
 
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State volleyball news follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsVB or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.

Fans are reminded that tickets to all 2015 home volleyball contests are free throughout the year.