ULM Warhawks

ATLANTA – The ULM volleyball team continued to show determination and persistence in the regular-season finale with a 3-1 loss (25-18, 21-25, 21-25, 23-25) to Georgia State at the GSU Sports Arena. The Warhawks showed their grit, winning the first set and falling with a four-point margin in sets two and three and two points in the final set. The four-set match had 26 ties and 13 lead changes in the back-and-forth battle. Taylor Thomas and Logan Jeffus each had eight kills for ULM, but Julianna Truscott of GSU had the match high with 17.
 
"Both matches this weekend, this team battled until the bitter end," said ULM head volleyball coach Charlie Olson. "Georgia State made some key adjustments that helped position themselves to take two victories on their home court. Today, I was really proud of the adjustments we made and the total team effort we exuded."
 
ULM jumped out to the lead in the first set, but Georgia State tied up the score and led briefly before the Warhawks grabbed their final lead at 10-9 and held it to the 25-18 end. ULM scored six of seven points to extend its lead to 17-10. Thomas and Jeffus had three kills in the set and Jeffus closed the scoring with kills for the 23^rd and 25^th points for ULM.
 
Seven-straight points for Georgia State opened the tight set that saw six ties early to a 14-8 lead for the Panthers. Down 24-15, ULM ran off a streak of six points with kills from three different Warhawks in the comeback attempt. ULM held off seven set points before GSU took the win at 25-21.

ULM took a 13-9 lead after five early ties kept the two teams on notice. Georgia State scored five-straight points to move to a 14-13 advantage. After ties at 14 and 15, the Panthers tallied five points over the next six possessions to go up 20-16. GSU scored five points to four for ULM to finish the set at 25-21.

Three kills by Panther Evoni Lemons and some Warhawk errors helped Georgia State build a 9-5 lead in the fourth set. Kills by Thomas and Jeffus put the Warhawks within two 11-9, but GSU added three quick scores to spread the margin to 14-9. ULM tied the match at 15 and again at 16, but Georgia State spun off six of the next seven points to move out front 22-17. ULM responded with a five-point scoring spree and Jeffus and Thomas combined for a block to tie the match at 22. Truscott and Gerwig traded kills for a tie at 23 before GSU had a kill and executed a block for the 25-23 final.

"As we close our regular season chapter, we took time to reflect on all of the positive this year. Even though we did not reign victorious in an SBC match, we won seven more sets than last year and pushed many teams to extra points or a decisive fifth set. This program is definitely trending in the right direction, especially with the addition to our new signing class of nine incoming in fall 2023."

ULM will play in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference championship Wednesday, Nov. 16, as the likely No. 7 seed from the west into the 2022 postseason.
 
"Next week, we travel to Foley, Ala., for the SBC Tournament," Olson said. "It's a good reset for our team and one last opportunity for us (as a team) to play for each other, and with each other. I am proud to continue to lead them and find any way we can to give ULM a chance to win matches."