ATHENS, GA. – The Furman volleyball team closed out play at the Classic City Clash Saturday evening with a 3-1 (13-25, 25-21, 19-25, 18-25) defeat to the host Georgia Bulldogs at Stegeman Coliseum.
Furman drops to 1-2 on the season while Georgia improves to 3-0 overall.
Izzy Castelloe finished one kill shy of tying her career high after leading the Paladins with 18 on .350 hitting.
Amber Watson poured in seven kills and
Kacie Moore six.
Emily Navarro registered her second double-double of the season compiling 25 assists and 13 digs. Defensively,
Kennedy Seekford led all players with a match high 15 digs and
Rebekah Buchholz added two blocks.
Bianna Muoneke was one of three Bulldogs that finished with double digit kills, totaling a team best 15. Gigi Artiles contributed 12 kills and Marin Collins 11. Muoneke and Collins both finished with double-doubles. Collins tied Ana Julia Bleeker with 12 digs. Chloe Elarton had 35 assists.
Furman was limited to only .033 hitting in the first set with Georgia posting a .348 mark. Castelloe hit .333 and paced the Paladins with five kills while Navarro collected four assists and three digs. The teams split the first six points before the Bulldogs reeled off five straight as part of a 12-4 run, leading 15-7 at the media timeout. Following the break, Georgia outscored Furman 10-6 for the 25-13 win.
Furman bounced back in the second set, claiming a 25-21 victory to tie the match at 1-1. The Paladins registered a .250 hitting mark and held the Bulldogs to an .069 clip. Castelloe again posted five kills on .300 hitting and Navarro had seven assists and four digs. With the score tied at 10-10, Furman went on a 5-1 run, capped by a Georgia attack error, to go ahead 15-11. The Paladins held off several Bulldog rallies and sat at set point, 24-19, following a kill from Moore. Georgia netted back-to-back points when Castelloe secured the set with her kill.
The third set featured six ties with the Bulldogs holding off Furman for a 23-19 win. The Paladins finished with a .125 hitting percentage as Castelloe led the team with four kills, Navarro six assists, and Seekford six digs. Furman stayed within striking distance of Georgia in the early stages, trailing 12-11 after Castelloe posted a kill. A Bulldog attack error kept the Paladins with two points at 18-16 before Georgia closed out the set on a 7-3 run.
The Bulldogs captured the match by winning the fourth set, 25-18. Furman would hit .312 in the final frame with Castelloe, Moore, Watson, and
Ashley Stein accounting for all 11 of the Paladins' kills. Navarro tallied eight assists and Seekford five digs. Georgia opened by scoring 12 of the first 17 points before Furman bounced back with an 8-3 run to trail 15-13 after a bad set by the Bulldogs. Stein and Buchholz kept the Paladins with three points, 19-16, with their combination block. Georgia wrapped up the set outscoring Furman 6-2.
The Paladins concluded the contest hitting .183 as a team to go with 49 digs, 42 kills, and 40 assists.
Furman opens its home schedule next week, September 3-5, hosting Presbyterian, Queens (N.C.), and North Carolina A&T during the Furman Invitational inside Timmons Arena.
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