FOLEY, Ala. – The ULM volleyball team had its 2021 season end in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Championship tournament with a 3-1 loss to Georgia Southern (24-26, 25-19, 27-25, 25-12) at the Foley Sports Tourism Complex.
After trailing through the opening phases of set one, three Eagle attack errors lifted ULM (5-27 overall) to its first lead of the set at 6-5. The Warhawks built upon their lead with a kill each from freshman Phoebe Stigen and junior Kathryn Raschilla. The Eagles tied the set at 11-11 and completed a four-score run to take back the lead. Later in the set, Stigen delivered an ace to bring ULM within one score, and the following Eagle attack error tied the game at 19. Junior Mariana Volponi e Giordan put her team into the lead, 20-19. Stigen brought ULM to set point at 24-23 with a kill. Georgia Southern's late-game attack errors gave ULM a set one win, 26-24. This set was the most tightly contested set of the match with 10 ties and five lead changes.
This set was the first postseason set won by ULM as a member of the SBC and its first since 1989.
Georgia Southern started off set two with a service ace. After a kill by Giordan, freshman Cameron Rogers came through with a service ace to go up 2-1. The Eagles tied the contest at 9, but ULM scored three straight points before Stigen capped of the run with her second ace. Georgia Southern complied a five-score run to put themselves in the lead for the remainder of the contest. Freshman Logan Jeffus and Stigen recorded kills late in the set, but the Eagles took set two, 25-19.
The score was 5-0 for ULM in the third after kills from senior Cali Assaley, Jeffus and another ace from Stigen. The Eagles pieced together scoring runs that helped them tie with ULM at 10. Georgia Southern took its first lead of the set at 12-11. ULM kept the score within four scores until freshman Emily Adams gave ULM a 21-20 lead with an ace. ULM reached set point courtesy of an Eagles error, but the Eagles responded with two kills of their own to force set point again at 25-24. ULM's final score of the set came from another Georgia Southern error, and the Eagles took set three, 27-25.
With the fourth set underway, ULM gained a 3-0 lead with kills by Giordan and Assaley. However, the Eagles doubled ULM's initial scoring run and went up 6-3 over the Warhawks. The Eagle defense kept ULM from completing a scoring run until late in the set when ULM scored four straight. Jeffus recorded the final kill of the contest, but the Eagles closed out the match with a 25-12 win in set four.
Jeffus lead the Warhawks with 11 kills in the match. Giordan dished out 36 assists. Rogers recorded 20 digs. Stigen finished with three aces.
The Warhawks end the season at 5-27 overall.
