Newark, Del.- Senior Muki Kangwa tied a match high with 16 kills and the Georgia State volleyball team captured the opening set, but the Panthers fell to defending Colonial Athletic Association champion Delaware Friday night on Viera Court, 3-1 (20-25, 25-17, 25-14, 25-19).
The Panthers fell to 10-14 overall and 4-3 in CAA play with the loss. The Blue Hens, who were picked to repeat as CAA champions before the season began by league coaches, improved to 13-11 overall and 6-2 in conference action. The Panthers entered the night a half-game in the CAA standings behind the Blue Hens, who were tied for first in the league.
GSU took the first game from the Blue Hens and looked poised to repeat an upset performance from last season- Delaware's only conference loss in 2010- but the home team rode Alissa Alker's 16 kills and double-digit kills from two additional players to capture the win.
Junior Jamiee Freeman, the Panther junior who leads the CAA in service aces, added a match-high three more Friday to run her total to 38. She also pitched in 14 digs and seven kills. Kangwa matched Freeman's 14 digs to tally her ninth double-double of the season, while Emily Averbeck led all Panthers with 18 digs on the night.
"We played well tonight but that is a good Delaware team, especially on their home court," said head coach Tami Audia.
Trailing 13-11 in the opening frame, the Panthers made a six-point push to take control of the set. After a UD error, then kills by Andrea Noe, Freeman and Kangwa, two aces landed from Kangwa to give the Panthers a 17-13 advantage. The Blue Hens called a timeout but the Panthers continued the pressure. GSU extended the lead to 20-14 after another spike from Kangwa, then rode kills from the GSU senior along with Noe, Freeman and Kaylee McGrew for a 25-20 opening-set win.
The Panthers took a 7-5 lead in the opening minutes of the second set, but it was the last lead they would enjoy during the game. After Vineece Verdun made it 14-13 with a kill to bring the Panthers within one, UD went on a 10-3 run keyed by kills from Chelsea Lawrence and Kim Stewart to earn a set point at 24-16. Verdun tallied the next point on a spike but the Blue Hens would take the set, 25-17.
In the third set, GSU fell behind quickly and found themselves down 9-1 after a kill by Karina Evans. Despite three kills apiece from Kangwa and Freeman in the set, the Panthers never came closer than six points, and fell 25-14 as Delaware regained the match lead, 2-1. GSU hit just .083 in the set, well below its season average of .175.
Unfortunately for GSU, the Panthers' attack percentage fell even further (.067) in the fourth game. Despite taking an early 6-3 lead after McGrew set up Kangwa for a slam, GSU would soon fall behind thanks to UD's balanced attack. Alker, ninth in the CAA in scoring, gave the home team a 15-12 advantage on her 15th spike of the match. Back-to-back service aces from Freeman later brought GSU within one point at 16-15, but Blue Hens leader Katie Hank muscled her way to 13 kills in leading UD to a 25-19 fourth-set victory to clinch the match.
Verdun aided the Panther attack with 12 kills on the night, moving closer to the 1,000 mark for her career. The redshirt senior now stands at 951, having played one season at Michigan State before transferring to GSU. 849 of Verdun's kills have come in a Panther uniform. Only nine players in school history have reached the 1,000-kill plateau.
"Emily, Muki, Vineece and others played well tonight but we have to dust ourselves off and get ready for another big match tomorrow," Audia added.
The Panthers move on to face the Towson Tigers (17-7, 4-3 CAA) Saturday night in the Towson Center at 7 p.m. The teams split last year's season series.
