What you need to know:
* Georgia State (4-13, 0-7 SBC) fell in four sets to Little Rock in Sunday's Sun Belt matchup.
* Georgia State battled back to win Set 2 and held a late lead in Set 4, but Little Rock was ultimately able to take care of business, 25-23, 18-25, 25-21, 25-23.
* Kristina Stinson and Deidra Bohannon each finished with double-digit kills to pace the offense. Bohannon and Serafin led the defense with a combined 42 digs.
ATLANTA – Georgia State's volleyball team hosted Little Rock Sunday afternoon in the GSU Sports Arena. The Panthers and Trojans four tight sets with Little Rock coming out on top, 3-1.
“We showed a lot of fight today and the ability to battle back from deficits,” head coach Sally Polhamus said. “That's something we can take moving forward and build upon.”
Georgia State (4-13, 0-7 SBC) held Little Rock (8-10, 4-4 SBC) to just .107 hitting through the first three sets, but only managed one win from that stretch. Georgia State was trailing Little Rock 23-15 in Set 1 and fought back to within a point at 24-23. Little Rock would GSU away with a kill from Carolee Dillard to take the 1-0 lead.
Georgia State took advantage of Little Rock errors to pull even with a 25-18 win in Set 2. The Panthers hit .220 and used eight kills combined from Deidra Bohannon and Kristina Stinson. Bohannon finished the match with a team-high 17 kills while Stinson tallied 13.
The Panthers once again showed determination in Set 3, rallying from an 18-10 deficit to go on an 11-4 run to make it a 22-21 set in favor of the Trojans. Little Rock fought off the pesky Panthers, sealing the 25-21 win with an ace.
Georgia State bounced in front in the fourth set, looking to send the contest to a fifth frame. The GSU lead only came after the Panthers were down 10-2, however, showing yet another example of the team's ability to fight. Little Rock finished the set on a 6-1 run to win 25-23 and seal the victory.
Gabby Serafin led the team in digs with 26 while Bohannon added 16. Freshman Jordan Screen got some playing time in the match and took advantage, scoring three kills on six swings and only hitting one error. Another freshman, Sarah Renner also gained valuable experience on Sunday, as the setter finished the match with a career-high 37 assists. Renner had only 31 assists on the season entering the contest.
Georgia State goes on the road to Appalachian State next weekend before hosting six home matches in a row. Follow along with Georgia State on Twitter (@GeorgiaStateVB) for the latest news.
