Elon, N.C. - The Georgia State volleyball team won a thrilling five-set match over previously unbeaten Elon 3-2 (25-18, 13-25, 16-25, 27-25, 15-10) on Saturday afternoon in the second match of the day at the Elon Invitational. Junior Ashley Jones fell just one dig shy of her third triple-double of the season to lead the Panthers.
Elon was just two points from winning the match in the fourth set before the Panthers rallied to force the fifth and deciding set.
The win improved the Panthers to 10-3 on the season, while Elon fell to 11-1.
Georgia State is off to its best start since 2003 when the team started the season 14-1. This is the best start under head coach Mike Webster who is now in his sixth year at the helm of the Panthers.
Jones finished the match with 14 kills, 19 assists and nine digs. The junior has scored two triple-doubles already this season and been just one dig shy of two more. She finished the 2008 regular season tying for the national lead with six triple-doubles.
Freshman Jamiee Freeman scored her first career double-double with 10 kills and a career-high 16 digs. The true freshman finished with just two errors in the five-set match, hitting at a .308 clip.
Redshirt-sophomore Vineece Verdun added ten kills and seven total blocks as the Panthers garnered 12 as a team.
Sophomore Chelsea Perry led State with 31 assists, just two shy of her career high. Perry scored 33 assists in a match for the second time in her career during yesterday's four-set win over the Naval Academy.
Junior Audrey Cantrell, who came into the weekend second in the CAA in digs per set with 4.42, added to that total on Saturday with a team-high 24.
Sophomore Muki Kangwa added eight kills and nine digs, while lone senior Jocelyn Waldern scored eight kills.
The Phoenix were led by double-doubles from Traci Stewart (12 kills and 15 digs) and Lauren Copenhagen (11 kills and 14 digs). Emily Regan added 31 assists for Elon in the loss.
Georgia State will return to the court for its final match of the weekend, taking on Norfolk State (2-11) later this afternoon at 4:30 p.m.
Live stats of all matches this weekend can be viewed at GeorgiaStateSports.com.
