BOONE, N.C. – The Georgia State volleyball team (14-9, SBC 5-7) stormed back for a four-set road victory over the Appalachian State Mountaineers (13-10, SBC 4-8) on Saturday afternoon at Holmes Convocation Center, sealing the Panthers' first season sweep over the Mountaineers since 2016.

The Panthers offense was paced by Maria Cecilia de Pinho, who finished with 23 kills on the day while accumulating a hitting percentage of .442. Akira Burt added 15 and Alessia Cappai chipped in with 12 as part of balanced Georgia State attack. Defensively, had three players reach double figures in digs, including Marta Lazzarin's 26, 13 from Shanelle Martinez, and 10 more from Nazli Guvener.

How It Happened

Set 1 | The Panthers found themselves in an early deficit, losing the first set 25-22. Appalachian State never surrendered the lead in a set that was knotted up eight times before the Mountaineers took control.

Set 2 | Georgia State responded to pick up a 25-16 victory in the second set, evening the match at one. The Panthers led from the opening point on in the set to secure the victory. Georgia State opened up as much as a nine point lead at 24-15 before closing out the set. Georgia State's front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking four Appalachian State attacks in the stanza.

Set 3 | Georgia State grabbed a 2-1 match lead after defeating the Mountaineers in the third set. The Panthers came out on top of a close battle, winning 28-26 in a set that was tied 15 times and had nine lead changes. The Panthers racked up 17 kills over the course of the set.

Set 4 | Georgia State closed out the match in dominant fashion with a 25–18 win in the fourth set, their third straight to seal the victory. The Panthers led from the opening point and never looked back, finishing the stanza on a strong note by extending their lead to as many as seven. Georgia State's attack was sharp down the stretch, racking up 17 kills while committing just two errors to complete the match.

Game Notes

• Three Panthers recorded double-digit kills in the victory.
• Georgia State also saw three players reach double figures in digs.
• Marta Lazzarin served up a match-high two aces.
• Georgia State controlled the second set from start to finish, never trailing in a 25–16 win.
• The Panthers repeated that dominance in the fourth for a 25–18 clincher.
• Maria Cecilia de Pinho powered the offense with a match-high 23 kills.
• Lazzarin anchored the back row with a match-best 26 digs.
• Shanelle Martinez fueled the attack with a team-leading 29 assists

Up Next
The Panthers return home to host Georgia Southern for a two-match series on Friday, Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 8 at 2 p.m.