ATLANTA – The Georgia State Panthers (10-3, SBC 1-1) closed out the weekend on a high note, sweeping the Arkansas State Red Wolves (8-5, SBC 1-1) 3-0 on Saturday at the GSU Sports Arena.
The win came after a five-set battle between the two teams and pushed the Panthers to 10-3 overall and 1-1 in Sun Belt play. The sweep marked the Panthers' sixth straight-set victory of the season and gave the team an early boost in conference play.
Georgia State controlled the match from start to finish, never allowing the Red Wolves to grab momentum. Maria Cecilia de Pinho led the offensive charge with 10 kills on a .261 hitting percentage, while Marta Lazzarin once again anchored the defense, racking up 17 digs to keep Arkansas State in check.
How It Happened
Set 1 | The Panthers took control of the set-one lead at 3-2 and held the lead the rest of the way to win 25-21. Georgia State led by as many as eight points at 18-10 before closing out the set, totaling 15 kills .
Set 2 | Riding momentum from the opener, Georgia State put themselves on the cusp of a sweep with a 25-20 victory in set two. After two early lead changes, Georgia State pulled ahead for good at 15-14 and never trailed by more than five points the rest of the way.
Set 3 | Georgia State sealed the match with a hard-fought 25-23 win in the third. The Panthers led by as many as eight at 20-12 before surviving a late Arkansas State surge to finish off the sweep.
Game Notes
Up Next
The Panthers plan to carry their momentum to Harrisonburg, Virginia where they will meet JMU on the court for another two set series. The first match will be on Friday, Oct. 3 at 6 p.m. ET, followed by a second match on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 1 p.m. ET.
