What you need to know:
* Georgia State (0-3) lost 3-2 to Fresno State and 3-0 to Murray State.
* The Panthers were led by Kristina Stinson in the Fresno State match and by Deidra Bohannon in the Murray State contest.
* Senior Eliza Zachary was named to the all-tournament team.
ATLANTA – Senior Eliza Zachary was named to the Catamount Volleyball Classic all-tournament team Saturday in Cullowhee, N.C. as Georgia State fell to 0-3 on the season with losses to Fresno State and Murray State.
Zachary finished the tournament with 40 kills and 13 blocks. The middle blocker tied her career high Friday against Western Carolina with 22 kills. Previously, Zachary has also been named to the 2014 All-Sun Belt team.
Match 1 vs. Fresno State
Competing in its second five-set contest in as many days, Georgia State's volleyball team fell to Fresno State Saturday morning by a score of 25-27, 25-21, 11-25, 25-19, 15-10.
Fresno State attacked early, taking a 9-5 lead before GSU began to settle in. The Panthers evened the score at 11-11 and continued to press the Bulldogs, leading to a Fresno State timeout with the score at 19-all. GSU took its first lead of the set with a block from Kitan Ajanaku and Anna Rantala to go up 20-19. FS rallied to go up 24-23, but a nicely timed Deidra Bohannon kill extended the set. Eliza Zachary won it for the Panthers with a kill from the pin to put GSU up 27-25.
In Set 2, Fresno State once again started hot and GSU fell behind early. A Kristina Stinson kill evened the set at 15-15, but the Bulldogs answered with a 4-1 run and would go on to take the set 25-21.
Set 3 brought a different start with the Panthers jumping to a 4-0 lead. GSU kept the pressure on and Fresno State elected to take a timeout as the GSU lead grew to 9-4. The momentum stayed with the Panthers, however, as Stinson powered the GSU offense with seven kills on nine attempts. GSU ran away with the set, winning 25-11 to take a 2-1 lead in the contest.
Fresno State took over in the fourth set as GSU struggled to get its offense going. The Bulldogs evened the score at 11-11 before going on a big run to win the frame 25-19 and force a fifth set. It would be the second five-setter in a row for Georgia State.
Georgia State took a 4-2 lead in Set 5, but the Bulldogs responded to go on top 9-6. After a GSU timeout, the Panthers attempted a comeback, but fell short as Fresno State won the match with a 15-10 victory in the fifth set.
Match 2 vs. Murray State
In the second contest of the day, Murray State got the best of the Panthers, winning 25-6, 25-21, 25-20. Bohannon led the way with 10 kills on .333 hitting.
Murray State entered the match 2-0 and started off hot, leading GSU 13-5 in the first set when GSU took its first timeout. The Racers kept the pressure on and secured a 1-0 lead with a 25-6 Set 1 win.
The Panthers played better in Set 2, holding a 12-9 lead before Murray State made a run to go up 18-15. GSU rallied to even the score at 19-all, but would go on to drop the set 25-21. Bohannon and Zachary led the GSU attack in the second set, tallying three kills each.
Georgia State once again led in Set 3, holding a 14-11 advantage after an ace by Zachary. Both sides battled to a 16-16 tie before the Racers pulled away to win 25-20 and clinch the 3-0 sweep.
Georgia State plays on the road the first two weekends before hosting Kennesaw State in the home opener on Sept. 8 at the GSU Sports Arena.
Follow along with Georgia State on Twitter (@GeorgiaStateVB) for the latest news.
