Starting a four match road trip in Boston on Friday night, the Georgia State volleyball team fell to CAA leader Northeastern in three sets. The Panthers (1-18, 1-5 CAA) came out strong and ready to play, but the relentless Huskie offense proved too much to handle.
The Panthers took an early 4-1 lead on Northeastern (12-7, 6-0 CAA), highlighted by kills by senior Liz Schaab and sophomore Ashley Jones. The Huskies use a 7-0 run to take a 9-5 lead, but led by a pair of kills by sophomore Rachel Boryc, the Panthers would tie the set at 10-10. The teams would basically exchange the next 22 points and on a kill by Schaab, the set would be tied at 21-21. However, that is when the Huskies would take over, earning a victory in the first set, 25-21.
On the momentum they had built to finish off the first set, Northeastern came out strong in the second set and never looked back. State trailed 5-1 early, but on a kill by Jones and a Huskie attack error, the Panthers cut the deficit to two. The Panthers deficit would increase to six at 11-5, but a 4-0 run, capped by a block by Boryc and freshman Muki Kangwa, cut the deficit to 11-9. Northeastern would again use a run, this time, 7-0, to take a commanding 18-9 lead. The Panthers offensive attack would not be able to cut into that lead, as Northeastern took the second set, 25-13.
Showing the character and resolve that they have all season, the Panthers came out strong in the third set. Neither team would take more than a one-point lead through the first 12 points and after falling behind 7-5, Boryc and freshman Torrie Brown would get the Panthers right back into the set, tying the score at 7-7. Northeastern would use a 5-0 run to take a five-point lead, but State would respond with a 5-0 run of their own to tie the score at 12-12, highlighted by a block by Brown and Kangwa. A 9-2 run by Northeastern would put the set and match out of reach for Georgia State, though the Panthers would make one last push and cut the deficit to three at 21-18. The Huskies would take the final set, 25-20.
Jones led the Panthers with six kills, five assists and seven digs, while Schaab scored five kills. Freshman Chelsea Perry, playing in her first match of the season, added 10 assists, while redshirt sophomore Audrey Cantrell added 10 digs.
Northeastern was led by Lauren DeTurk's 11 kills and nine digs, while Britney Brown added a team-high 13 assists.
The Panthers will head to New York and face Hofstra on Sunday at 1:00 p.m., before returning to Atlanta. State will next play at home against Kennesaw State on October 28th.
