FOLEY, Ala. — East fourth-seeded Georgia State (18-10, 9-7 SBC) fell in the opening round of the Sun Belt Championship Tournament on Thursday afternoon, dropping a straight-set decision to West fifth-seeded Southern Miss (17-11, 8-8 SBC) inside the Foley Event Center.
Akira Burt paced the Panthers with nine kills and a .273 hitting percentage, while libero Marta Lazzarin anchored the defense with a match-high 19 digs.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Panthers fell behind early, losing a tough first set 25-18. Georgia State trailed by as many as seven points as Southern Miss grabbed the advantage for good at 2-1 in a set that was tied up four times before the Golden Eagles took control.
SET 2 | A 25-20 set-two loss put Georgia State two sets behind in the match. The Panthers trailed by as many as six points as Southern Miss grabbed the advantage for good at 6-5 in a set that was knotted up three times.
SET 3 | Georgia State was unable to extend the match in set three, ultimately falling 25-18 as Southern Miss completed the sweep. The Panthers trailed by as many as seven points, with the Golden Eagles taking control for good at 6-5 after a tightly contested opening stretch that saw the set tied four separate times.
Game Notes
- Hady Pickard had a team-high one ace in the loss.
- Akira Burt had a team-high nine kills for Georgia State.
- Georgia State got a match-high 19 digs from Marta Lazzarin.
- Georgia State attackers were helped by a team-high 15 assists from Emily Harden.
