Georgia Southern University takes pride in its many sports teams, many of which call Hanner Fieldhouse home. But volleyball protects Hanner more than any other, boasting a seventeen to two record so far this season.
On October twenty-sixth, the Eagles took on the James Madison University Dukes at home in Hanner Fieldhouse. The Eagles dominated all three sets to defeat the Dukes three to zero, protecting their eleven to zero record at home. Head Coach Chad Willis details what that record means to the team.
“We knew we were going to get a solid effort from JMU,” said Willis. “But we’re playing pretty well at home right now. Kind of our mantra right now is ‘protect Hanner’; nobody comes in here and pushes us around, and this group’s taken good care of that home court.”
The Eagles gathered a quick lead over the Dukes in the first set. The Dukes managed to recover some of the deficit, but the first set ultimately led to an Eagles win of twenty-five to twenty-one.
The Eagles dominated the second set, never allowing the Dukes to take the lead. While watching the game, it was evident that the team, led by players like Senior Captain Jillian Gray, prioritizes communication, which led to their twenty-five to eleven win in the second set.
“We know that we all have each others’ backs, and I think that really helps out a lot,” said Gray. “You’ll see us holding hands in between points and stuff, and that’s just kind of like centering each other, and just like knowing that we have each others’ back.”
The Dukes needed to win the third set if they wanted to stay alive in this matchup, which made this set a neck-and-neck race. A series of challenges and timeouts made this set a nailbiter. One of the final points in the set, which gave the Eagles the push they needed to secure the win, was decided by a challenge.
“We want to play clean volleyball,” said Willis. “We do an awful lot of drilling during the week where we’re in those situations. Whether it be twenty-twenty, twenty-one-twenty-one, twenty-two-twenty-two, we call them red-zone games. And this team has made a living off that this year, so proud of them for the work they’ve been putting in.”
This match didn’t just sport a great win, but a great cause, too. As October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the match was a “Pink Out”, organized by Zeta Tau Alpha.
“Breast cancer awareness just means, you know, spreading the word, making sure people know that it is unfortunately very common; and there are things we can do to help prevent it and spread awareness,” said Zeta Tau Alpha’s Philanthropy Chair Emily Wiggins.
The Eagles travel to Conway, South Carolina next week to take on Coastal Carolina. And in two weeks, the Eagles will protect Hanner once again against the Georgia State Panthers.