ATLANTA – The Georgia State volleyball team (16-9, SBC 7-7) closed out its home slate in style, sweeping in-state rival Georgia Southern (18-7, SBC 9-5) over the weekend and clinching a spot in the Sun Belt Tournament as the No. 4 seed. The Panthers sealed the series with a four-set victory Saturday afternoon at the GSU Sports Arena.
Georgia State was powered by a stellar double-double from Alessia Cappai, who tallied 18 kills and 12 digs. Nazli Guvener added 13 kills to fuel the offense, while Marta Lazzarin anchored the back line with 26 digs. Rayne Williams was a force at the net, contributing six blocks to help secure the rivalry win and complete the weekend sweep.
How It Happened
Set 1 | The Panthers opened the match with a thrilling 29-27 victory in a first set that featured six ties and three lead changes. Georgia State's offense dominated early, producing 17 of their 29 points on kills alone.
Set 2 | Georgia State maintained momentum in the second set, taking a 25-22 win to quickly move ahead 2-0 in the match. The Panthers never trailed by more than five points and seized control for good at 13-12, in a set highlighted by two lead changes before Georgia State steadily pulled away.
Set 3 | The Eagles pushed back in the third set, handing Georgia State a 25-21 setback. Georgia Southern took the lead at 4-3 and held it for the remainder of the set, which had four ties before the Eagles pulled away.
Set 4 | Georgia State responded emphatically in the fourth set, closing out the match with a 25-18 win. The Panthers gained control at 4-3 and never looked back, ultimately finishing the stanza with their largest lead of seven points. The set featured 16 kills from Georgia State and recorded five blocks to help seal the victory.
Game Notes
- Georgia State had four players in double figures in kills.
- Georgia State had three players in double figures in digs.
- Marta Lazzarin had a team-high one ace in the win.
- Alessia Cappai registered a double-double with 18 kills and 12 digs
- Alessia Cappai had a team-high 18 kills for Georgia State.
- Georgia State got a match-high 26 digs from Marta Lazzarin.
- Georgia State attackers were helped by a team-high 25 assists from Shanelle Martinez.
- Panthers sealed the No.4 seed in the Sun Belt Championship Tournament.
Up Next
The Panthers close out their regular-season schedule on the road with a two-match series at ULM in Monroe, Louisiana, set for Thursday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. and Friday, Nov. 14, at 1 p.m
