Location: Macon, Ga.
Match 10: Charleston Southern @ 11 a.m.
Match 11: Mercer @ 6 p.m.
Match 12: Montana State @ 11 a.m.
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ATLANTA – Georgia State volleyball heads to Macon, Ga., for the Mercer Invitational, a three-match tournament hosted by Mercer. The Panthers kick off the last weekend of nonconference play on Friday, Sept. 18, with an 11 a.m. match against Charleston Southern, and turn around later in the day to face the Bears at 6 p.m. Georgia State wraps up the weekend Saturday, Sept. 19, against Montana State at 11 a.m.
SERIES HISTORY
Georgia State holds a 6-1 advantage in the all-time series against Charleston Southern. The two programs first met on Oct. 14, 1995, with the Panthers falling 3-0 on the road. Since then, Georgia State has won six straight meetings, including the most recent matchup on Sept. 1, 2017, when the Panthers earned a 3-2 victory at a neutral site.
Georgia State owns a 35-6 all-time record against Mercer. The Panthers won the first meeting between the two programs, a 2-0 decision in 1986. Georgia State enters the matchup riding a one-match winning streak against the Bears, with the most recent meeting coming on Sept. 18, 2020, when the Panthers secured a 3-2 victory at home.
This will be the first meeting between GSU and Montana State.
SCOUTING THE BUCCANEERS
Charleston Southern enters the weekend at 6-4 on the season, riding a one-match winning streak after closing out its home invitational with a sweep of Bethune-Cookman. The Buccaneers have been on the road often early, going 2-1 in the Big Orange Bash at Clemson to open the year, 2-1 at the Lowcountry Volleyball Championship hosted by The Citadel, and 2-1 at the Buc Dome Invitational, with a midweek loss at Duke sandwiched in between. Charleston Southern picked up a notable individual honor this past week, as freshman Brynn Minter was named Big South Player of the Week and the conference's unanimous Freshman of the Week after a breakout showing that included her 100th career kill in just her ninth collegiate match. The Buccaneers are led by head coach Carrie Brown, who enters her fourth season at the helm in Charleston.
SCOUTING THE BEARS
Mercer enters the weekend at 5-4 on the season, riding a two-match winning streak and having won three of its last four matches. The Bears split their opening tournament, going 1-2 at the Troy Invitational, before bouncing back to take one of two at North Dakota and going 2-1 at the UWG Volleyball Classic in Carrollton. Mercer closed out its home opener in dominant fashion Tuesday, sweeping Florida A&M behind a balanced attack. Sammi Bergjans set the table with 37 assists to go with five digs, two aces and two kills, while Lara Matta was a two-way force with 13 kills and a team-leading nine digs. Avery Wilks and Brooklyn Palmer anchored the front row as well, each posting nine kills on a .400 hitting clip while combining for six total blocks. The Bears are led by head coach Steve Benson, who enters his second season at the helm in Macon.
SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
Montana State enters the weekend at 5-3 on the season, but arrives on a one-match losing skid after dropping the Bobcat Invitational finale to Portland. The Bobcats opened the year by sweeping all three matches at the Maroon and White Classic in Easton, Pa., before splitting a tough four-team field at the Tommie Invitational in St. Paul, Minn., going 1-2 there. Montana State then hosted its own Bobcat Invitational, taking a five-set thriller over North Dakota State before falling to Portland to close the weekend. In Montana State's opening week of play, sophomore libero Nicolette Noble earned Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career, starting all three matches in Easton and racking up a career-best 24 digs against Marist en route to a tournament total of 63, while also adding 16 assists and a .982 reception percentage on 56 attempts. The Bobcats are led by head coach Matt Houk, who enters his fourth season at the helm in Bozeman.
MARTINEZ AT THE HELM
Jorge Martinez joined Georgia State as head coach of the volleyball program in February 2026. Martinez comes to GSU after six seasons at Arkansas Little Rock, where he served four years as an assistant coach before being promoted to associate head coach in his final two seasons with the Trojans.
NEW TO THE A
Georgia State welcomes 14 newcomers to the roster for 2026, including eight freshmen and six transfers. Freshmen Milana Holland, Sydney Crowder, Madilyn Lenox, Sigrun Jonsdottir, Jayden Fitzgerald, Annelore Engels, Sophia Johnson and Julie Arias bring youth and potential, while transfers Reagan Elizondo (South Carolina), Dariana Valencia (Little Rock), Leilani-Kai Giusta (Quinnipiac), Charley Goberville (Cornell), Mina Olgar (UC San Diego) and Isabel Morales (Little Rock) add collegiate experience and depth to the Panthers' lineup.
FRESHMEN FRENZY
Georgia State features one of the largest freshman classes in the Sun Belt for the 2026 season, tying ULM with eight freshmen. Milana Holland, Sydney Crowder, Madilyn Lenox, Sigrun Jonsdottir, Jayden Fitzgerald, Annelore Engels, Sophia Johnson and Julie Arias make up the Panthers' freshman class.
SO INTERNATIONAL
Georgia State's volleyball roster is rich with international flair. Nearly a third of the 2026 squad hails from overseas, with five of the 17 players bringing valuable international experience to the court.
