MONROE, La. – The ULM volleyball team ended the season with a three-set loss 25-20, 25-21, 25-19 to Georgia State inside Fant-Ewing Coliseum Sunday afternoon.
Junior Taylor Zaeske notched her 12th double-double of the season, totaling 10 kills and 12 digs. Sophomore Bayleigh Hoffman dished out 19 assists and dug seven balls. Junior Ana Ribeiro blocked a career-high seven balls as the Warhawks held a 10.0-4.0 block advantage in the match.
“That's what we kind of expected from 'H' (Ribeiro) all year and she started off behind the eight ball and has been playing catch up all year,” head coach Patrick Hiltz said. “Luckily, we get her for another year. Today was about Kim. She's been great for us and started off really well in the first set and kind of faded – but everybody did. I was hoping we'd have more energy and enthusiasm to send our senior out with a win in a very winnable game, and we just didn't show up.”
The Panthers were led by Deidra Bohannon who slammed 12 kills and added 15 digs for a double-double. Libero Gabby Serafin recorded a match-high 17 digs.
The first set came to a three-point tie before GSU (7-19, 3-13 SBC) pushed two straight to make it 5-3. Later in the set at 11-8, the Panthers went on a 4-0 run on three ULM (14-18, 3-13 SBC) attack errors to widen the margin to seven at 15-8.
The Warhawks would get as close to five at 23-18 before a Brianna Jones kill closed the set for the Panthers at 24-20. Senior Kimberlie Alvarado had a strong first set, smashing four kills on a .250 clip.
ULM fell behind 13-9 in the second set before ripping off four straight points on three straight assisted blocks and a kill from Ribeiro to tie the set at 13. The set again tied at 15, 16, 17 and 18 before a Bohannon kill and Sydney Mauer ace gave the Panthers a two-point advantage at 20-18.
After a service error, GSU struck for three more lifted by two Bohannon kills to make it 23-19. An Alvarado kill salvaged the set at 24-20 before the lone senior served into the net, seeing the Warhawks down 2-0 at the intermission. Ribeiro slammed three kills (.400) and notched four blocks (all assisted) in the second stanza.
The Warhawks fell in a quick 5-1 hole in the third set before clawing back to 7-6. Still trailing 9-7, ULM saw a 3-0 Panther run increase the lead to five at 12-7. At 13-10, however, the Warhawks countered with five straight points sparked by a Zaeske kill to take the lead at 15-13.
GSU fired back with two 4-0 runs in the next nine points to take a 21-16 advantage. ULM showed tremendous fight by scoring three straight with sophomore Jennifer McClendon getting in on the action with a kill on a Panther overpass. GSU would spoil any more comebacks by scoring the next four points capped by three straight Kristina Stinson kills to end the match.
“(Next season) we will have even more depth than we did this year,” Hiltz said. “Even with the depth that we had, arguably one of our best setters is also our best libero. The good news is, we have a freshman who is good enough that we can't leave her off of the court.”
That will conclude the 2015 volleyball season for the Warhawks as they now turn their attention to the beach.
“We will figure out who is going to be a part of that beach squad and who is going to do an indoor spring,” Hiltz said. “We have a lot of fundamental issues to address and a lot of mental stability that we have to strengthen. Some of them will get better and try to win some beach matches and the ones that aren't on that beach team are really going to have to hit the court in the spring and get better.”
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