Perhaps Ringo Starr said it best: You know it don't come easy.
Junior Amy Lusk had 24 kills and 17 digs as the Georgia State volleyball team (5-7, 3-2 CAA) defeated UNC Wilmington 3-2 (30-26, 27-30, 24-30, 30-25, 15-12) Friday night in Wilmington, N.C., the third win of the season for the Panthers in five games this year.
"Amy was a monster for us tonight," said Georgia State head coach Mike Webster who saw his team improve to 3-0 against UNCW (6-9, 0-5 CAA) since joining the Colonial Athletic Association. "She did a very good job against a very big UNC Wilmington block."
The Panthers were playing without redshirt junior Ana Paula Ferreira, who was at home in Brazil attending to a family illness. "This was a very tough, distracting week for us in practice," said Coach Webster. "Our thoughts were and still are with Ana Paula; however, I'm very proud of the way this team found a way to adjust and found a way to win tonight against a much-improved Wilmington team."
After not winning a five-game match in over a year, the Panthers have now gone 3-0 in five-game matches this season. This fifth game was the closest of the three for State so far this season, although the Panthers jumped out to a 10-4 lead in the deciding game, with Lusk getting two kills during the opening run. Wilmington would storm back, cutting the lead to one after a block made it 13-12.
But the two key factors in the match helped the Panthers get the closing pair of points. Lusk dropped an attack in the court for a 14-12 lead, and on match point, a block by sophomore Michelle Trimble and freshman Noelle Boyd gave State the win.
Even without the team leader in blocks in Ferreira, the Panthers still managed to block at the same rate as the taller Seahawks. Both teams had 13 total blocks for the game, with the Panthers getting four of them in the final game. State's defense held the Seahawks to a -.182 hitting percentage in the final game and a -.025 percentage in the fourth game.
In every prior five-game match this season, the Panthers have been down 2-1 but have come back to win. The fourth game proved to be just as key in this game, as State battled back to win. It appeared as though the game would be a cakewalk for the Panthers, as State jumped out to an 18-4 lead due to a host of Seahawk errors. But Wilmington would battle all the way back to within three at 27-24 following a service ace. But the Panthers would still close out the game, thanks to three Seahawk attack errors to make it 30-25.
State opened the match by taking the first game 30-26, but that wasn't without a struggle either. Down 22-17, the Panthers saw UNCW roll off five straight points to make it 22-all. But the Panthers would bounce back to open up a three-point cushion at 25-22 thanks to two Seahawk errors and a Lusk kill. The lead dropped to one, but a 4-1 spurt ended the game, with the Panthers getting kills by sophomore Liz Schaab, Lusk, freshman Jocelyn Waldern, and the clincher by sophomore Leah Tenney.
Schaab had 10 kills and six total blocks (one solo) for the Panthers, while freshman Jocelyn Waldern had her best match as a Panthers middle blocker with eight kills (.375 attack percentage) and four total blocks. Freshman Noelle Boyd had a career-high 52 assists to go with seven digs and three total blocks (two in the final game).
Junior Marissa Levassuer tied Lusk for team-high honors in digs with 17. Senior Christen Garcia had 14 digs, bringing her within 42 of tying the career record for digs. Junior Jordan Thomas also had 10 digs for the Panthers.
The Panthers return to action tomorrow at the McAlister's Deli Seahawk Invitational against a pair of non-conference opponents. State faces Winthrop at 12:00 p.m., and Gardner-Webb at 5:00 p.m.
