The second matchup for Georgia State volleyball during their weekend road trip through Arkansas ended as the Panthers fell in straight sets to the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (UALR) Trojans.
The defeat brings Georgia State’s overall record to 4-14 and 2-7 in Sun Belt play.
Set 1
After dropping the first point, the Panthers gained three consecutive points. Georgia State would take leads of 7-4 and 9-6 before UALR evened the score at 9 apiece.
With the score tied again at 11, five straight points from the Trojans, set up by assists from sophomore setter Megan Mathis gave their team an advantage of 16-11, leading to a Panthers timeout.
The lead for the Trojans would expand to 21-14. Georgia State trimmed their deficit to five at 23-18 with a kill from Eliza Zachary, before a kill from senior outside hitter Edina Begic, along with a Zachary attack error sealed the first set for UALR, 25-18.
Zachary had five kills along with a .429 hitting percentage to lead the Panthers.
Set 2
A pair of kills from Mathis led UALR as they jumped to a 5-2 lead to begin the second frame.
Georgia State was able to close to within 8-6, including two kills from Kitan Ajanaku. Two more kills and a Panthers attack error led to an 11-7 advantage for the Trojans, prompting another Georgia State timeout.
Panthers head coach Sally Polhamus would call time again as the UALR lead grew to 16-10.
A pair of attack errors from Georgia State and another Begic kill grew their lead to 19-11. With the lead for the Trojans at 21-13, the Panthers were aided by a couple of errors on the UALR side to close within 22-16. The Trojans won the second set 25-17 with two kills and a Georgia State service error.
Zachary ended the second set with seven kills. Ajanaku had six with a .455 hitting percentage.
Set 3
The Trojans assumed an early 6-2 lead to start the third set. Huge plays from Ajanaku, Natalia Nieto, and Kristina Stinson led the Panthers to score eight of the set’s next nine points contributing to a 10-7 lead. This led to a timeout from UALR.
Led by a pair of kills from Edina Selimovic, the Trojans tied the third set at 12 apiece. One more Selimovic kill and two Georgia State errors allowed UALR to go ahead 15-12, leading to a timeout from the Panthers.
Morgan Patterson came up with a kill to bring Georgia State within 15-13, but a 4-0 run from the Trojans that included two Stinson attack errors expanded their lead to 19-13.
An attack error from Milanovic brought the Panthers within five at 19-14, but three more Georgia State errors broadened the UALR lead to 22-14.
Ajanaku came up with a kill to make the score 22-15 before the Trojans scored the match’s final three points to take the set, 25-15, along with the match.
Instrumental in the Trojans’ victory was their team having a hitting percentage of .408 compared to Georgia State’s .133 percentage.
The Panthers also had 20 attack errors to only seven for UALR.
Begic led the Trojans with a .440 hitting percentage and 12 kills. Ajanaku led the way for Georgia State with 11 kills and a .526 hitting percentage.
Deidra Bohannon did not play on Sunday’s game for the Panthers.
The Panthers will return home on Friday as they face Texas State at 6 p.m. from the Sports Arena.
