JACKSONVILLE, FLA. – The Virginia Tech volleyball team came back from two sets down to defeat Georgia State 3-2 Friday morning. After dropping the first two sets 25-16 and 25-21, the Hokies swept the last three sets 25-23, 25-17 and 15-13.
The first two sets for the Hokies were slow on the offensive side, hitting .158 in the first set and .024 in the second set. Griere Hughes had a team-high three kills in the first and Marisa Cerchio led Tech with three kills in the second. Mara Perry and Brie Postema led the way in assists, posting 10 assists combined between the two sets.
Georgia State had its best offensive set out of the gate, hitting .293 in the first set and ending with 16 kills, compared to only 10 by the Hokies. Clara Bednarek was the Panthers' leader, tallying five kills in the first set. The Panthers also had five blocks between the two sets.
The Hokies rallied to take a tight third set 25-23, with Cera Powell and Angel Robinson leading the charge. Powell notched five kills, including three important points towards the end of the set. Robinson was second on the team with four kills, including the set-winner. Tech also hit .195 in the third with three blocks.
The fourth set was Tech's best set offensively, finishing with a .275 hitting percentage and 14 kills. Tasha Vipond stepped up for five kills, with help from setter Talyn Jackson who posted 12 assists. Logan Mosley was solid defensively for the Hokies, registering seven digs over the fourth set. Georgia State hit only .098 in the fourth set with 11 kills.
The deciding fifth set was a back-and-forth affair, as the Panthers jumped out to an early 4-0 lead. The Hokies battled back, tying the game up at 5-5 off an attack error by the Panthers. Georgia State then went on a 3-0 run but the Hokies were able to tie the game back up at 9-9.
From there, Virginia Tech did not relinquish the lead, pulling out the 15-13 win to remain undefeated. Robinson and Cerchio each had three kills for the Hokies, who finished the set with 10 kills.
Mosley ended the match with 27 digs, tied for a season-high. Vipond and Robinson ended the match with 12 kills apiece, while Jackson had 36 assists, a season-high for her.
The Hokies return to the court tonight at 7 p.m. to take on the undefeated North Florida Ospreys.