ATLANTA – The Georgia State Panthers (9-3, SBC 0-1) came up short in a five-set battle against the Arkansas State Red Wolves (8-4, SBC 1-0) on Friday night at the GSU Sports Arena.
Maria Cecilia de Pinho led the Panthers offensively, posting 17 kills with an impressive .419 hitting percentage. She was joined by Akira Burt and Nazli Guvener, who each added 11 kills to the attack. On the defensive side, Marta Lazzarin anchored the back row with a team-high 22 digs, while Emily Harden contributed 14 to round out the Panthers' strong effort.
How It Happened
Set 1 | Georgia State opened strong, taking the first set 25-22 to grab an early 1-0 lead. The Panthers pulled ahead for good at 20-19 in a frame that featured three lead changes before closing out down the stretch.
Set 2 | Arkansas State responded with a 25-22 win to even the match at one set apiece. Despite the loss, the Panthers' offense shined with a .314 hitting percentage and 16 kills, keeping pressure on the Red Wolves throughout.
Set 3 | The Panthers regained control in the third, earning another 25-22 victory to move ahead 2-1 in the match. Georgia State took the lead for good at 12-11 in a set that saw just one lead change, staying steady to the finish.
Set 4 | The Red Wolves bounced back, dominating the fourth 25-14 to force a decisive fifth set. Georgia State fell behind early and couldn't recover, as Arkansas State secured control at 8-7 and never looked back despite six ties in the frame.
Set 5 | In the deciding set, the Red Wolves closed out the match with a 15-12 win. Georgia State dropped the opening point and never managed to take the lead, falling 3-2 in a tightly contested battle.
Game Notes
Up Next
The Panthers return to the GSU Sports Arena on Saturday, Sept. 27, to close out their two-match series with the Red Wolves. First serve is set for 2 p.m. ET.
