ATLANTA ? In one of the longest-played matches in recent Georgia State volleyball history, State came out victorious in a five-match marathon against James Madison in Colonial Athletic Association action. The Panthers prevailed 3-2 (36-34, 19-30, 37-35, 21-30, 23-21) in a contest that featured 54 ties and 28 lead changes and lasted 2 hours and 58 minutes.
The teams traded points early and often in game one, as neither squad built a controlling margin until Georgia State (15-11, 5-5 CAA) pushed out 20-15 advantage after a James Madison attacking error. The Dukes fought back and reclaimed the lead at 25-23 following a service ace from Allyson Halls. The Panthers knotted the game at 25 moments later after a Michelle Trimble kill and edged out to a 28-27 lead after a Duke attacking error. However, James Madison moved to game point at 29-28 following a State attacking error but a JUM ball handling error just as quickly tied the game again. After holding game point three times, the Panthers finally closed out the opening frame with a combined block from Ana Paula Ferreira and Liz Schaab.
Despite eking out a two-point win in game one, State controlled much of the opening frame with a .302 hitting percentage and committed just four errors in 43 total attacks. On the other hand, JMU committed 12 errors and posted a .231 attack in the first game.
The second game was a different story, as James Madison (14-9, 5-4 CAA) used a 9-0 run early on to build a 14-9 lead. The Panthers closed the deficit to two at 14-12, but the Dukes used a 7-2 run moments later to extend their lead to seven, 24-17. JMU closed out the game with a 4-1 run, as State struggled with its offense during the game and posted a -.023 hitting percentage.
State took control early in game three, building a 10-6 lead before JMU called its first timeout. The clubs battled back and forth, as the frame featured 12 ties and four lead changes. The Dukes appeared to have the stanza in hand with game point at 29-25, but the Panthers clawed their way back into the game and tied matters at 29 after Ferreira's service ace. Neither team could seal the deal until State took advantage of a Ferreira kill to stake a 36-35 lead with Noelle Boyd serving. Ferreira and Jocelyn Waldern combined on a block to give State a 37-35 game-three victory. Trimble was a key component of the Panther attack during the game, posting seven kills.
The fourth game started out evenly, as the team traded the lead four times before JMU took the lead at 10-9. The Dukes later used a 9-3 run to build a 23-15 lead, as James Madison controlled the pace and posted a .364 hitting percentage during the period. After squandering game point early in the third game, JMU did not do the same in the fourth frame and forced a fifth and final game after clinching a 30-21 win in game four.
State raced out to a 7-4 lead in game five before JMU called timeout and regrouped. The Dukes claimed the next four points to take an 8-7 advantage, as the teams switched sides of the court. The Panthers appeared poised to close out the contest when a kill from Ashley Jones setup match point at 14-11. However, the Dukes answered the bell and tied the game at 14 before the Panthers called timeout. Each team setup match point over the next several minutes, but State put itself in a position for the win after another kill from Trimble created match point at 22-21. Georgia State sealed the match with a 23-21 win in game five as Trimble and Schaab combined for the Panthers' final block of the night.
“More than anything we needed a victory tonight and I am very proud of how we accomplished that against a very good team like James Madison,” said head coach Mike Webster. “Michelle [Trimble] and Ana Paula [Ferreira] really stepped it up when it mattered most tonight. Noelle [Boyd] did a great job running the offense and she generated a lot of opportunities for our attackers because of her play.”
The Panthers got box-score contributions from almost everybody on the roster, as Trimble posted a career-high 20 kills while hitting .385 in the match and added five block assists. Marissa Levasseur notched a career-best with 22 digs while Boyd posted her fourth double-double of the season with 57 assists and 14 digs. Ferreira recorded her 11th double-double of the year with 17 kills and 14 digs. Jones came off the bench and added eight kills while fellow reserve Waldern added seven kills and five block assists. Schaab tied a season-best with six block assists, added five kills and set a career-high with three service aces.
Georgia State concludes its home schedule on Sunday, Oct. 28, against CAA rival George Mason at 2 p.m.
