FRIDAY'S SCORES
@Georgia State 3,
Southeast Missouri 0 (NIVC - Statesboro, Ga.)
@#1 Pitt 3,
Morehead State 0 (NCAA - First Round)
GEORGIA STATE 3, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 0
STATESBORO, Ga. - Southeast Missouri Volleyball (19-14) concluded the 2024 season in the first round of the Women's National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) with a 3-0 loss to host-Georgia Southern (22-6) on Friday night from Hanner Fieldhouse.
Outside hitter Lucy Arndt led the Redhawks with nine kills on 36 total attacks (four errors) for a .136 hitting-percentage. Rightside hitter Abby Johnson chipped in seven kills of her own and finished with a .105 hitting mark.
Georgia Southern was led offensively behind 13 kills from Reagan Barth who totaled 31 total attacks, finishing with a .355 hitting-percentage. GSU outhit the Redhawks by a .296 to .080 advantage.
The two sides battled into extra points in the opening frame. Trailing 24-23, GSU served one into the net to extend it to 24 a piece. A kill by GSU's Jillian Gray put the Eagles back on set point, but the Redhawks weren't done yet.
Rightside hitter Avery Torrey recorded one-of-her-three kills In the match, off an assist from Nina Schuberth, to make it 25-25.
Back-and-forth, the Eagles would eventually take the opening set by a score of 28-26 to give them a 1-0 advantage heading into set two.
The final two sets was all Eagles as the home side hit north of .300 in both sets, including a game-high .400 in the second set.
OVC Defensive Player of the Year Nina Schuberth finished with 16 digs on the night and a .900 reception-percentage as the only Redhawk with double-digit digs.
Jackson, Missouri-native Holland Guilliams got on the stat sheet in the third set with a dig as she played in all three sets Friday night. Fellow freshman Alaina Lester chipped in four kills on 11 total attempts, recording a team-high .364 hitting-percentage.
The 2024 season concludes for the Redhawks with a 19-14 record and three All-OVC honorees. SEMO won the 2024 Ohio Valley Conference regular season, pushing the program total to 11 regular season championships.
#1 PITT 3, MOREHEAD STATE 0
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Morehead State Volleyball battled but could not overcome the power of No. 1 Pitt, falling 3-0 Friday night in the NCAA Tournament at the Petersen Events Center.
MSU saw its season conclude with an 18-15 record. The Panthers won 25-17, 25-15 and 25-15. The Eagle program made its fourth ever NCAA appearance and fifth NCAA championship match in history.
Morehead State was led by junior M.E. Hargan with 10 kills. MSU finished with 33 digs, led by eight from senior libero Peighton Isley.
Pitt's service game was a bit too much to handle for the Eagles as the Panthers landed 11 aces.
In the opening set, the Eagles hung tough for the first portion of the set. MSU only trailed 15-14 following a service ace by Pitt and an attack error, but the home team went on an 10-3 run to close out the set victory.
Set two saw Pitt use a 6-1 scoring flurry to push ahead 16-9. A couple of late kills by Nott gave MSU some hope, but the Eagles eventually fell 25-15.
MSU again hung tight in set three, trailing only 12-11 and forcing a Panther timeout. But the break only fueled the hosts as they went on to win 25-15..