The Georgia State volleyball came out firing and gave #25 Michigan all they could handle early on, but the Wolverines (4-0) were too much for the Panthers (0-5) who fell in three sets. Sophomore Ashley Jones and freshman Torrie Brown led the Panthers with seven kills a piece.
Michigan started the match on a 4-0 run, but led by a Jones kill, State would quickly tie the score at 6-6. The Wolverines would once again go on a 4-0 run, but the Panthers would not be denied and tied the score at 11 on a kill by Brown. Once again, Michigan would respond with a 7-2 run of their own to go up 18-13. Jones had different plans and would strike once again as the Panthers would attempt one last rally in the set. Jones' fourth kill of the set cut the deficit to 19-17, but that is as close as the Panthers would get. The Wolverines would take the first set 25-20.
After a service error by Michigan's Juliana Paz made the score 2-1 in favor of Michigan to start set two, the Wolverines would go on an 8-2 run to take a commanding 10-3 lead. State would respond with a small run of their own and with a kill by Brown, cut the deficit to 10-6. Michigan would however be too much for Georgia State in the second set, taking it by a final of 25-13.
The Wolverines would prove to be too much for the Panthers in the third set, though Georgia State would not go quietly early on. Senior Liz Schaab would tie the score at one for the Panthers early. A kill by junior Jessica Tjaden would cut the Wolverines lead to 7-4 early on, but that is the closest that Georgia State would get, falling 25-11 in the third and final set.
Michigan was led by Paz' 14 kills, while Megan Bower added 10. Lexi Zimmerman added 34 assists for the Wolverines.
Sophomore Alysa Long added five kills for the Panthers, while Tjaden scored 16 assists. Schaab and red-shirt sophomore Audrey Cantrell finished with 10 digs a piece.
Georgia State will return to the court on Sunday when the Panthers face Arkansas at noon in the 2008 season home opener. Admission to the GSU Sports Arena is free.
