ATLANTA, GA. – The Furman volleyball team started the 2025 season on Friday sweeping the first day of the GSU Invitational with victories over the West Georgia Wolves and Presbyterian College Blue Hose at Georgia State's GSU Sports Arena.

Furman improved to 2-0 on the season while West Georgia dropped to 0-1 overall and Presbyterian 0-2.

The Paladins started the GSU Invitational on Friday morning with a 3-0 triumph over the Wolves before coming back in the evening with a 3-1 victory against the Blue Hose.

Match 1 – West Georgia 0, Furman 3
Furman picked up its first season-opening victory since 2023 with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-21) sweep of West Georgia in the tournament's opening match.

The victory also marked the first time since August 24, 2012 that the Paladins have swept their season-opening match since a 3-0 triumph over Middle Tennessee at the Blue Raider Bash in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Preseason All-SoCon pick Izzy Castelloe paced the Furman offense with nine kills on .600 hitting while Lauren Haynes, who missed all of last season with an injury, contributed eight kills and a team high 13 digs. Lindsay Walch also compiled eight kills. Emily Navarro dished out 20 assists and Kennedy Seekford totaled 12 digs.

Molly Brunell led the Wolves with a match high 11 kills and Addyson Franz dished out 17 assists. Olivia Kremer posted 13 digs.

Castelloe compiled four of her nine kills in the opening set as the Paladins compiled a .265 hitting percentage during a 25-20 victory. Brunnell cut West Georgia's deficit to 7-6 before Furman answered with a 10-4 run and led 17-10 midway following a Wolves attack error. West Georgia cut the Paladins' lead to 18-15 but Furman closed out the set scoring seven of the final 12 points. Haynes clinched the set with her kill.

Furman would hit .320 in the second set while limiting the Wolves to a .065 clip. Haynes had a team high four kills and was one of six players who recorded a kill. The Wolves took an early 6-4 lead before the Paladins came back and held a 9-6 advantage on Walch's service ace. Furman broke the set open courtesy of an 11-6 run and went in front 20-12 late after Castelloe connected on a kill. The Paladins collected three of the last four points for the 25-16 win capped by Ashley Stein's kill.

West Georgia only hit .021 throughout the third set with Walch (4), Castelloe (3), and Tennyson Gorman (3) combining for 10 of Furman's 13 kills. The Paladins started out on a 10-3 run and took a seven-point lead when Gorman and Grainne McGrath combined for a block. Haynes gave Furman its largest lead of the set at 21-10 with her kill. The Wolves staged a late rally and got to within three points twice with the last coming at 24-21. Castelloe wrapped up the set, and match, for the Paladins on the following point with her kill.

Furman hit .250 as a team and held West Georgia under .100 overall at .078. The Paladins held a 37-34 advantage in kills, 34-32 in assists, and 48-43 in digs. The Paladins also led 7.0-4.0 in blocks with Gorman picking up four unassisted blocks.

Match 2 – Furman 3, Presbyterian 1
Gorman had a career high 16 kills to lift Furman to a 3-1 (26-24, 21-25, 25-18, 25-18) win over Presbyterian in its second match of the GSU Invitational.

Gorman hit .517 to pace the Paladin offense with Castelloe and Haynes both providing eight kills. Navarro tallied her first double-double of the season on 22 assists and 10 digs. Quinn Morrissey came off the bench to dish out 20 assists. Seekford led all players with 29 digs and Haynes registered 13.

Ashley Miller led the Blue Hose with a double-double of 19 kills and 15 digs. Anisa Dorlouis (31 assists, 21 digs) and Celimar Hoyos (10 assists, 16 digs) both added double-doubles for Presbyterian.

Furman started the match on a 7-2 run in the first set and built its lead out to 13-7 when Castelloe and Stein teamed up for a block. The Paladins led 19-15 midway before the Blue Hose used a 9-4 run to sit at set point leading 24-23. Furman answered back with the last three points off bad sets by Presbyterian to win 26-24. Gorman led the team with three kills while the Paladins limited the Blue Hose to just .089 hitting.

Presbyterian captured the second set 25-21 to even the match at 1-1. Castelloe recorded three kills and Navarro dished out five assists. Seekford collected eight digs.

Gorman hit .636 during the third set and led all players with seven kills. Morrissey turned in 10 assists and Seekford six digs. The teams traded the initial eight points, and the score was later tied at 11-11. The Blue Hose led 18-16 midway when Furman ended the set scoring the final nine points. Gorman recorded back-to-back kills for the 25-18 victory.

Gorman (5), Ashtan Dodson (4), and McGrath (3) combined for 12 of the Paladins' 16 kills in the fourth set and clinched the match with another 25-18 triumph. Navarro (7) and Morrissey (5) teamed up for 12 assists and Seekford had seven digs. Furman never trailed and opened on a 12-5 run, taking a seven-point lead off a Presbyterian attack error. The Paladins held their largest lead of the set at 20-11 on Haynes' service ace. Dodson clinched the set and match with her kill.

Furman concluded the match hitting .216 as a team and led 54-51 in kills and 46-45 in assists. For the first time this season, the Paladins registered double-digit blocks after finishing with 10. Castelloe and Gorman led the way with five blocks each.

Up Next
Furman wraps up the GSU Invitational Saturday afternoon facing tournament host Georgia State at 2 p.m.

Fans can follow the action on www.furmanpaladins.com via live stats. Updates will be posted on the Furman volleyball Twitter page (@FurmanVB).

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