MOBILE, Ala. – Kennesaw State volleyball claimed the opening set against in-state rival Georgia on Sunday afternoon in the first meeting between the two programs since 2019, before the Bulldogs rallied for a 3-1 (25-19, 18-25, 10-25, 21-25) victory on the final day of the South Alabama Invitational from Jag Gym. The loss dropped the Owls to 5-4 on the season.
STAT OF THE GAME: Kennesaw State came out strong against the Bulldogs, recording 16 kills and hitting .250 in the opening set while holding Georgia to a .219 hitting percentage. The Owls were then held to .222 or under in the next three sets, while UGA finished with a .340 hitting percentage.
THE RUNDOWN
KSU jumped out to a 7-1 advantage in the opening frame and never trailed, eventually stretching its lead to 19-11. Georgia pulled within five late, but the Owls held off the Bulldogs for the 25-19 victory.
Georgia responded in the middle two sets, winning 25-18 and 25-10 to take a 2-1 advantage. KSU battled back in the fourth and held a 13-12 lead before the Bulldogs regained the advantage and eventually closed out the match with a 25-21 victory.
POSTGAME QUOTES – HEAD COACH KEITH SCHUNZEL
"Proud of the mental rebound today after not showing up yesterday against Tulane and getting destroyed in every facet of that game. While we have a long way to go and a lot of growing to do, the competitive edge we showed up with today needs to be what we do and who we are.
"UGA came out flat today and credit to our ladies for being ready to go in set 1 and playing a clean set. Unfortunately their level rose and ours dropped in the middle of that match. This is a game of consistency over long stretches of time and while we show flashes of really good stuff, we're having trouble sustaining over long enough stretches. We just need to keep working and improving.
"This was Ashlyn Anderson's best match of the season today. Olivia Burrage worked and competed to be the presence at the net that she's capable of, and I thought Alexis Sowers was excellent in serve receive today.
"We're growing and learning. We will get there."
NOTES
- Haley Patterson paced the Owls with 15 kills and added two service aces.
- Burrage reached double figures with 10 kills while hitting .250 and added three blocks.
- Anderson finished with eight kills on 18 attacks with just two errors for a team-best .333 hitting percentage. She also added two blocks.
- Maggie Byrd added six kills while hitting .300.
- Kaeley Walz posted 34 assists and a team-high 10 digs for her first double-double of the season and the first double-double by an Owl this season.
- Sowers and Ashley Theiss both finished with eight digs.
NEXT TIME OUT
Kennesaw State travels to Statesboro, Ga., for the Eagle Invitational, beginning Thursday, Sept. 17 against host Georgia Southern at 6 p.m. The Owls will also face Fordham on Friday at 5 p.m. and North Florida on Saturday at 3 p.m.
