GSU turns down Wofford 3-0

Hayden Boudreaux

The Georgia Southern University volleyball team captured its 10th Southern Conference win this season on Saturday as it defeated Wofford College (11-16, SoCon 5-7) in straight sets.

GSU started the first set with aggressive offense, outscoring Wofford 5-2. The two teams began trading points with junior outside hitter Jamie DeRatt and junior middle Kym Coley sending a volley of spikes at the Terriers. Sophomore right side Katie Bange got into the mix as well as she recorded three kills in the set.

Wofford made too many errors in the first set and could not deflect the offensive attack and allowed seven points from hitting and service errors. The first set went to the Eagles 25-21.

The second set was more of the same with senior outside hitter Nicole Jeschelnik helping GSU jump out to a commanding 4-0 lead.  The Terriers continued to set themselves back by committing three straight hitting errors, and they would go on to end the set with 12 total.

Jeschelnik continued to power down shots, racking up six kills. With a comfortable lead, DeRatt ended the set with a service ace 25-17.

The final set began with each team jockeying for the lead. When the set was tied at 8-8, DeRatt began an offensive surge for her team and helped establish a six-point lead.

Wofford attempted to battle back and scored four unanswered points before GSU finished off the match on a kill from Coley 25-21. The Terriers ended the final set totaling 21 errors on the night.

Statistically, it was a solid game for the Eagles. They were led on offense by Jeschelnik with 12 kills, followed by Bange with nine. Sophomore setter Katalin Minnerly played a key role as well, as she piled up 38 assists on the night.

On defense, DeRatt and sophomore libero Alex Beecher combined for 26 digs. Sophomore Crysten Curry and Coley each had one block as well.

GSU sits atop the SoCon in the current standings with only four games remaining before postseason play. The Eagles are closely trailed by Furman University, which has defeated the Eagles in both of their meetings this season.

The Eagles are on the road tonight as they face off against The Citadel, which they beat earlier in the season 3-0. The game will be held in Charleston, S.C. at 6 p.m.