The Sports Inquirer

Release from Georgia State Athletics:

Georgia State’s volleyball team had its best season since 2011, recording twice as many conference wins, eight, as a year ago. The Panthers secured the seven seed in the eight-team conference tournament in Sally Polhamus’ first season as head coach and the school’s second season in the Sun Belt. The conference record was 8-12 with an overall mark of 10-20.

“We took steps forward this season,” Polhamus said. “Learning to play for a new coaching staff and learning a new system is a tough task, but the team stepped right up to the plate and accepted the challenge. Earning a spot in the postseason was big, but we are hungry for more next season.”

The team played well at times and produced some exciting results. Some of the season’s highlights were:

• A sweep of rival Georgia Southern, a new conference opponent in 2014.
• A challenging start with 11 of its first 12 matches of the season on the road.
• The first big win of the season in front of a record 447 fans over Georgia Southern as junior Deidra Bohannon totaled 22 kills on .300 hitting.
• A signature win on Oct. 17 over second-place Texas State at the GSU Sports Arena. Junior Eliza Zachary had a team-high 17 kills on .371 hitting with two blocks and fellow junior Kitan Ajanaku hit .538 with nine kills and two blocks in the 3-1 win.
• Georgia State defeated Troy in an exciting, come-from-behind five-set win in the last weekend of the regular season to clinch its first postseason berth since 2011. The team rallied from down 10-14 in Set 5 to win 16-14.
• Claimed the seventh seed in the conference tournament with an 8-12 Sun Belt mark and 10-20 record overall.

Individually, some Panthers earned deserved recognition:

• Bohannon and Zachary were honored with postseason awards as they were named to the Sun Belt first and second all-conference teams, respectively.
• Bohannon is the first Panther to be named first team all-conference for volleyball since 2011.
• Natalia Nieto claimed the Sun Belt Setter of the Week award on Oct. 27 for her play in wins over Troy and UL Lafayette.
• Both Bohannon and Zachary ranked in the Sun Belt’s top 10 in kills per set.
• Nieto moved up to 4^th place in school history in assists (2,636) in leading the team for a third consecutive season.

At the Sun Belt Championship banquet in San Marcos, Texas, Georgia State was honored with the two all-conference selections as well as eight individual academic awards and the Sun Belt’s team academic award.

Facing the hosts and No. 2 seed Texas State in the first round of the tournament on Thanksgiving night proved to be too much for the Panthers, however, as the team fell in three sets. Sophomore Kristina Stinson grabbed nine kills in the loss. Though it wasn’t the end result and championship the team had hoped for, the improvement over the season was clear.

“As a team, we are not satisfied. We are eager to keep working hard in the offseason and use this momentum to have an even better 2015,” Polhamus said.

With six starters and the libero returning next season, Georgia State looks to build upon this year’s strong points and continue to grow the program in search of a conference championship.