ATHENS, Ga. – In a wildly entertaining Sunday afternoon affair between the Presbyterian College volleyball team and Georgia Southern (held on the University of Georgia's campus), the Blue Hose were upended three-sets-to-one against a stout adversary 16-25, 16-25, 25-21, 25-20.

Fighting tooth and nail with one of the finest mid-major programs in the nation, PC managed to give the Eagles only their seventh set loss all year after falling behind 2-0. (GSU has played 33 sets at this stage).

Against a crew that nearly upset the Georgia Bulldogs the evening prior, Presby displayed a heavy amount of grit in a losing effort. They'll stay on the road next weekend, going up north to Philadelphia for another tournament hosted by Temple.


 
SET ONE – GEORGIA SOUTHERN def. PC, 25-16
 
- GSU certainly looked the part of a team that had won 19 consecutive sets before losing to UGA on Saturday, steadily crafting a nine-point set victory in the early going.

- Staying within striking distance at 10-7, the Blue Hose saw Georgia Southern begin to pull away at 18-12. The Eagles scored seven of the last 11 points to jump ahead.

- Elyse Hutchinson was a bright spot for head coach Maddie Moss's unit, responsible for six of the team's 10 kills by herself.


 
SET TWO – GEORGIA SOUTHERN def. PC, 25-16
 
- Things were more of the same in the second chapter, as Georgia Southern stacked up six unanswered points to reach a 10-point cushion (16-6).

- Presbyterian countered by manufacturing a 7-2 run with their backs against the wall, although the Eagles would once again finish the set strong. A 6-2 GSU run was enough to win the second set by the same tally as the first, completing two frames where they never trailed.


 
SET THREE – PC def. GEORGIA SOUTHERN, 25-21
 
- The lightbulb switched on for the Blue Hose after trailing 0-2, handing their Sun Belt foe a rare defeat thanks to 17 kills and numerous timely plays.

- Julia Yurkovich was sensational in Set Three by collecting six kills, joined by Courtney Williams and Brittany Daphnis who had three apiece.

- Celimar Hoyos delivered the Blue Hose their first ace of the afternoon and a 14-12 lead. Georgia Southern maneuvered their way back in front at 17-16, although Yurkovich threw out the life-preserver and landed back-to-back kills to jolt PC ahead again.

- Now it was Daphnis' turn for two kills in rapid succession, setting the scene for Yurkovich to smack her sixth kill of the set and grant the Scotsmen a 22-19 advantage.

- Coach Moss's gang led by as many as five to avoid the sweep, with Daphnis doing the honors for a set-clinching kill and trimming the Eagles' overall lead to 2-1.


 
SET FOUR – GEORGIA SOUTHERN def. PC, 25-20
 
- Rejuvenated in the aftermath of the Set Three W, Presby and GSU traded haymakers in the next frame, so much so that the score was tied at three, four, five, six, and seven.

- With the drama heightening, Yurkovich generated a massive two-play sequence with a kill and an ace to put the match at a 13-13 deadlock.

- Georgia Southern responded by claiming six of the next nine points, but PC stormed right back in the picture as they had all day. Another ace – this one by Amaris Alvarez – pulled Presbyterian back within one at 19-18.

- Ultimately, the Eagles concluded the set on a 7-1 spurt that enabled them to snare the hard-earned victory.


 
NOTABLES
 
- PC hit at a match-best .282 percentage in their third-set triumph. The trio of Hutchinson, Yurkovich, and Williams were all a handful for GSU, going for 11, 10, and nine kills respectively.

- The Blue Hose accomplished 12 team blocks in the close loss (three apiece by Williams, Ashley Miller, and Ava Smith), while Anisa Dorlouis led the way in digs with 16.

- Hutchinson was the most effective attacker from a statistical standpoint, hitting .304 in 23 opportunities. Hoyos and Aubrie Arnold each had double-digit dig totals with 15 and 10.


 
UP NEXT
 
- Presbyterian's 12-match road stretch has nearly been seen through, made to travel one more time before playing at Templeton Gymnasium on September 26.

- In Philly this weekend, the Blue Hose will take on Temple, Dartmouth, and Quinnipiac. They'll start that round robin event by meeting the Owls at noon on Friday.