Audio - Coach Mike Webster Postgame
The Georgia State volleyball team rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Presbyterian College in five sets on Saturday evening and win the 2009 Great 8 Volleyball Challenge presented by Residence Inn-Kennesaw at the GSU Sports Arena.
The win improved the Panthers to 6-1, while the Blue Hose fell to 3-3. It marks the best start to a season for State under head coach Mike Webster, now in his sixth year with the Panthers.
Junior Ashley Jones recorded her first triple-double of the season and seventh of her career to share tournament MVP honors with Asjia Stokes of Kennesaw State.
Jones finished the match with a career-high 24 kills, 22 assists and 11 digs.
After losing the first two sets, 25-17 and 25-21, the Panthers rallied to take the third set 25-23, scoring an amazing 22 kills. State kept its momentum going in the fourth set, taking it 25-20 before closing the door on the Blue Hose. The Panthers came out firing in the deciding set, running off seven straight points to start the set before putting the Blue Hose away, 15-9.
The Panthers hits .522 with 12 kills and no errors in the final set.
Redshirt-junior Audrey Cantrell and redshirt-sophomore Vineece Verdun were also named to the all-tournament team for the Panthers. Cantrell scored a team-high 23 digs, while Verdun added 14 kills and a .345 hitting percentage. State hit .294 for the match.
Junior Rachel Boryc added a double-double of 12 kills and 33 assists, while hitting .355 for the match with just one error.
Senior Jocelyn Waldern and freshman Jamie Freeman each added six kills.
The Blue Hose were led by Lisa Shelley's 21 kills and 11 digs, while Kilee Ruppe added 51 assists.
Amanda Kettles and Presley Mabry each added 15 kills in the loss.
In the first match of the evening session, ULM defeated North Carolina A&T in straight sets, 25-16, 25-13 and 25-19. The Warhawks improved to 1-6, while the Aggies fell to 0-7.
ULM was led by Mari O'Neal who scored 10 kills with no errors on 20 attempts for a .500 hitting percentage. Christy Tribble added 20 digs, while Megan McCoy led the team with 24 assists.
The Warhawks held the Aggies to a -.072 hitting percentage as Tiffany Mellette led A&T with just six kills.
Georgia State will return to action when the team travels to Chicago next weekend for the University of Illinois-Chicago Invitational. State will start play on Friday night, taking on the host Flames at 7 p.m.
Tournament Standings
T1. Georgia State, 3-0
T1. Kennesaw State, 3-0
T3. Nicholls State, 2-1
T3. Presbyterian College, 2-1
T5. ULM, 1-2
T5. Alabama A&M, 1-2
T7. North Carolina A&T, 0-3
T7. Rider, 0-3
All-Tournament Team
Ashley Jones - Georgia State (co-Tournament MVP)
Asjia Stokes - Kennesaw State (co-Tournament MVP)
Audrey Cantrell - Georgia State
Vineece Verdun - Georgia State
Chesley Denesah - Kennesaw State
Sabrita Gulley - Kennesaw State
Presley Mabry - Presbyterian College
Lisa Shelley - Presbyterian College
Rachel Spreen - Nicholls State
Jesica Addicks - Nicholls State
Elyse Grassmuch - Rider
Madinah Abdullah - Alabama A&M
Tiffany Mellette - N.C. A&T
Mori O'Neil - ULM
