Volleyball Earns Hard-Fought Win Over Georgia Southern

Thursday, October 26

Harrisonburg, Va.

6 p.m.

James Madison University

16-6,9-2Sun Belt

Georgia Southern

17-5,7-4Sun Belt

Ga. Southern

James Madison

10/26/2023 10:34:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va. – A career-high 12 kills from Alex Kwasnik and 14 team blocks pushed James Madison volleyball over Georgia Southern in a five-set thriller Thursday evening at the Convocation Center.

With the win, JMU improved to 16-6 (9-2 Sun Belt), while the Eagles dropped to 17-5 and 7-4 in conference play. The Dukes prevailed by set scores of 23-25, 25-21, 25-21, 17-25 and 15-13 in its second five-set triumph of the 2023 season.

Sophie Davis' 19 kills paced the JMU offense and tallied seven blocks in the win. Miëtte Veldman finished with a double-double (14 kills, 11 digs) to go along with Kwasnik's career-high 12.

Georgia Southern had two players finish with over 20 kills, as Chamblee Russell (21) and Reagan Barth (20) led the Eagles' attack, while libero Ashlyn Lovett registered 35 digs.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1: Georgia Southern 25-23

Three straight points gave the visitors a 10-6 lead, but JMU answered back with three of its own and cut the deficit to one (10-9).
After Georgia Southern pulled ahead 13-10, the Dukes scored four of five and knotted the set at 14 on a kill from Davis.
The teams fought back and forth to an 18-18 deadlock before the Eagles rattled off four in a row to give them a commanding 22-18 lead.
Another 4-1 run from JMU cut the deficit to one (23-22), but Georgia Southern staved off the Dukes to take set one.

Set 2: JMU 25-21

JMU gained an early 9-5 lead on a pair of Eagle errors and extended the lead to as many as seven (14-7).
Georgia Southern cut it to five (15-10), but the Dukes responded to make it a 19-11 set with a kill from Veldman.
The Eagles trimmed the deficit to four (20-16) before JMU slammed the door with four straight for a 24-16 advantage.

Set 3: JMU 25-21

The Dukes were the first to five (5-2) as JMU continued to build off its momentum from the second.
Georgia Southern cut into the Dukes' lead before two kills apiece from Veldman and Kwasnik put James Madison ahead, 9-5.
The Eagles clawed their way back into the set and eventually tied the score at 12.
The Georgia Southern took a three-point lead (20-17) thanks to a kill from Reagan Barth, but JMU flipped the switch from that point on, finishing the set on an 8-1 run and taking a decisive 2-1 set lead.

Set 4: Georgia Southern 25-17

The Eagles snatched momentum early, gaining a 9-5 advantage on a double block.
JMU cut the lead its deficit to two (11-9), but Georgia Southern answered with a 4-1 run to give the Eagles a 15-10 lead.
The Georgia Southern advantage ballooned to 21-12 as it held on for a 25-17 victory in set four.

Set 5: JMU 15-13

Kills from Helmich, Davis and Veldman gave JMU an early 3-1 lead in the sprint to 15 points.
JMU was the first to eight points as a service ace from Veldman gave the Dukes an 8-4 lead.
As the teams switched sides, so did the momentum, as Georgia Southern used an 8-4 run to tie the set at 12.
A kill from Kwasnik and two attacking errors by the Eagles sealed the deal to give the Dukes a five-set victory.

MATCH NOTES

The 60 assists by JMU was the program's second-highest this season, as Rebecca Watkins finished with 30 and Caroline Dozier pitched in with 21 along with a season-high eight digs.

UP NEXT
JMU and Georgia Southern will wrap up its two-match series tomorrow at 5 p.m. at the Convocation Center, with the game available for streaming on the Varsity Network App.