Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Marietta, GA – UC volleyball opened their 2020 season on Saturday afternoon in double-header action at the Running Eagle Classic at Life University. The Patriots faced off with Southeastern in their first match of the day, falling to the fire 3-1 (22-25, 25-16, 23-25, 26-24). In match two, the Patriots found an offensive rhythm, defeating Middle Georgia State 3-1 (25-22, 22-25, 25-19, 25-15).

Match 1
vs Southeastern L, 1-3  (22-25, 25-16, 23-25, 26-24)

Right out the gates, UC scored five straight against Southeastern thanks in part to a pair of kills from Shelby Lackey and an ace served up by Juliet Montague. The Patriots held a 10-5 advantage when the Fire mounted their comeback, scoring seven straight unanswered to take a 12-10 lead. The rest of the match was played within three points until Southeastern forced a pair of mistakes at the end of the set to claim the 25-22 win.

In the second set, UC once again jumped out to a 10-5 lead thanks to a balanced effort that saw four Patriots record a kill. Abbie Genders managed an impressive stretch, managing six kills as UC remained ahead throughout the set. Leading 24-16, Lackey put a rocket over the net for the final kill, assisted by Lexi Lester, as the Patriots won set two 25-16.

The last two sets were played close but ultimately resulted in Southeastern victories. Tied at 21 in set three, Sobocinski recorded a kill for the Patriots but was immediately answered by the Fire, who took advantage of the opportunity and scored two straight, ultimately winning 25-23. Set four was a closely contested battle that saw continued success from Genders who recorded six kills. With the game locked at 24, a service error from UC followed by a SEU kill secured the match victory for the Fire, winning 26-24 in the final set.

Genders notched 14 total kills in the match, followed by Lackey who recorded 13. Jennifer Stein had an excellent game serving, tallying eight aces, while also digging out 23 balls. Lexi Lester led the team in assists with 39.

Match 2
vs Middle Georgia State W, 3-1 (25-22, 22-25, 25-19, 25-15)

In the first set against Middle Georgia State, UC trailed early going down 5-3 after a series of service errors. A kill from Genders tied the game at five apiece as the set remained closely contested. Leading 10-9, UC completed a stretch to extend their lead to four after a kill from Lily Chapman and a pair of kills from Danielle Jackson would make it 13-9. Chapman, Lackey, and Genders led the Patriots the remainder of the set, as they maintained their lead, ultimately claiming the 25-22 victory.

Set two was closely played until the Knights made a stretch that included three kills, giving them a 13-9 lead. A kill from Allyson Grava followed by three straight service errors from Middle Georgia tied the game at 18 all. Despite a solid effort from Chapman, the Knights maintained advantage throughout the rest of the set, winning their lone set of the match 25-22.

Montague led set three with an ace, kicking off what would be the Patriots third set win of the day. Following the opening ace, Lackey notched a kill and an ace as the Patriots went up 4-1. Shortly after, Genders checked into the game, managing back-to-back kills that gave UC their largest lead of the day at 10-3. Genders notched another trio of kills while Chapman tacked on another two, leading the Patriots to the 25-19 victory. Errors plagued Middle Georgia in the final set as Lackey, Chapman, and Stein kept their foot on the gas pedal, leading the Patriots to their biggest victory of the day, winning 25-15.

Chapman's performance was the highlight for UC in the second match, totaling 18 kills and 13 digs. Genders once again delivered, recording 13 kills while Lackey managed 12. Savannah Schwarz tallied an impressive 51 assists to lead the Patriots.

Following Saturday's action, the Patriots move to 1-1 on the season. UC is slated to compete again on February 15 in MSC conference action against Shawnee State in Portsmouth, Ohio.

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