Location: Foley, Ala.
SBC Tournement Match 1 vs. Southern Miss: Thursday, Nov. 20 @ 2:30 p.m. ET
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ATLANTA – The Georgia State volleyball team (18-9, SBC 9-7) heads to Foley, Alabama, for the first round of the Sun Belt Championship Tournament. The Panthers aim to extend their seven-game win streak when they take on the Southern Miss Golden Eagles Thursday, Nov. 20, at 2:30 p.m.
SERIES HISTORY
Georgia State and the University of Southern Mississippi first met on March 27, 2010, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where the Panthers opened the series with a 2-0 victory. In five all-time meetings, Southern Miss holds a 4-1 advantage over Georgia State. The Panthers' lone win came in that inaugural matchup, while the Golden Eagles' longest win streak spans four matches from October 28, 2022, to October 28, 2023. Georgia State's most recent matchup occurred on October 28, 2023, when the Panthers fell at home in Atlanta, Georgia, 3-0. Georgia State is 1-0 when facing Southern Miss in neutral sites.
ACROSS THE NET
Southern Miss enters Thursday's matchup with a 16-11 overall record and an 8-8 mark in Sun Belt Conference play, earning the No. 5 seed in the West Division for the Sun Belt Championship. The Golden Eagles have been strongest at home, where they hold a 10-3 record inside the Southern Miss Wellness Center, and have also found steady success on neutral courts with a 2-2 mark. Southern Miss opened the 2025 season with a standout non-conference stretch, earning eight sweeps. Southern Miss enters the tournament on a two-match win streak and looks to carry that momentum into postseason play against the Panthers.
BERTH. CLINCHED.
The Georgia State volleyball team closed out its home slate in style, sweeping in-state rival Georgia Southern over the weekend to punch their ticket to the Sun Belt Tournament as the East's No. 4 seed. This marks the seventh appearance in the SBC tournament for the Panthers.
SHE'S JUST A FRESHMAN
Libero Marta Lazzarin was recognized among the Sun Belt's top three players appearing in the NCAA statistical rankings. Lazzarin has been a steady force on the back row, ranking seventh in the NCAA and first in the Sun Belt with 5.14 digs per set. She also leads the conference and sits 29th nationally in total digs with 452. Lazzarin's strong play also earned her national attention, as she was highlighted by Avid Volley as one of NCAA DI Week Three's "Top of the Week" players and Sun Belt's week 11 Defensive Player of the Week.
SO INTERNATIONAL
Georgia State's volleyball roster boasts with international flair. Nearly half of the 2025 squad hails from overseas, with eight of the 17 players bringing valuable international experience to the court.
THE SIQUEIRA ERA
Entering her second season at the helm, Head Coach Flavia Siqueira has quickly elevated the Georgia State volleyball program to new heights. During Siqueira's first campaign in 2024, the Panthers capped the season with 17 wins, the most in over a decade, and advanced to the second round of the Sun Belt Tournament for the first time since 2021. With Flavia at the forefront, the Panthers enter 2025 on the rise.
SEEING DOUBLE
Georgia State's 2025 season has seen standout two-way performances, with four Panthers recording multiple double-doubles to anchor the team's early success. Setter Shanelle Martinez leads the way with seven double-doubles, dishing out a season-best 32 assists and 12 digs. Nazli Guvener has recorded four double-doubles, highlighted by a season-high 18 kills and 12 digs against Furman (8/30). Myllena Torquetti has tallied two double-doubles, including 10 kills and 10 digs in the same matchup. Alessia Cappai has also made her mark with two double-doubles.
SUN BELT DOMINANCE
Georgia State continues to make its presence felt in the Sun Belt, ranking among the league's best across multiple statistical categories. The Panthers stand second in both kills per set (13.56) and assists per set (12.62), while holding third in total digs (1,631), opponent hitting percentage (.178), digs per set (15.99), total assists (1,287), and total kills (1,383). Individually, Marta Lazzarin paces the conference with 516 digs and an impressive 5.21 digs per set.
SMASHING START
Georgia State is off to its best start to a season since 2003, winning seven of its first eight matches. The Panthers have gone undefeated in two of their first three tournaments, dropping just one match along the way.
