What you need to know:
* This weekend, Georgia State returns to Atlanta for a four-match homestand starting with Texas State and UT Arlington this weekend. After defeating Troy last Sunday, the Panthers are 4-4 in the Sun Belt and 8-11 overall. All donations given during Friday's Dig Pink match will benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
* Head coach Sally Polhamus and the Panthers are coming off a 1-1 weekend. GSU fell to South Alabama in three sets, but bounced back with a four-set victory over the Troy Trojans. The Panthers will battle Texas State Friday and UT Arlington Saturday. Both matches are set for 6 p.m.
* Through 19 matches, senior OH Kristina Stinson has led the GSU offense with 165 kills and is averaging nearly nine per match. Senior MB Eliza Zachary and sophomore OH Crystal Lee have also carried the offense with 100-plus kills. Sophomore setter Sarah Renner leads the team with 606 assists and freshman DS Celeste Friesen has carried the defense with 242 digs.
ATLANTA – Georgia State court volleyball returns home to the GSU Sports Arena this weekend for matches against Texas State on Friday and UT Arlington on Saturday. The Panthers (8-11, 4-4) will look to improve to a winning record in SBC play. Both matches start at 6 p.m.
GSU split its matches this past weekend against South Alabama and Troy. Head coach Sally Polhamus and the Panthers are looking to build on Sunday's win at Troy during this four-match homestand.
In Sun Belt Conference play, senior OH Kristina Stinson has elevated her game. She averages 10.5 kills per match through eight SB matches. Senior MB Eliza Zachary and sophomore OH Crystal Lee have accounted nearly 43 percent of the team's kills in conference play.
The Panthers have three players in the top-five of the SB in aces per set in Celeste Friesen, Anna Rantala and Crystal Lee. Sophomore setter Sarah Renner ranks fourth in the conference with over nine assists per set. Zachary leads the Panthers with 20 total blocks in SB play and 39 on the season. Friesen averages over 3.5 digs per set on the year.
Texas State (13-9, 6-1) heads to Atlanta winners of four consecutive matches and six of their last seven. Head coach Karen Chisum's Bobcats rolled to defeat Arkansas State and Little Rock in a combined seven sets last weekend.
The Bobcats carry a balanced attack with six players registering 100-plus kills including Jaliyah Bolden, Lauren Kirch and Megan Porter. Erin Hoppe orchestrates the Texas State offense with over 700 assists. Kirch leads the Bobcats with 79 block assists and Micah Dinwiddie spearheads the defense with nearly 10 digs per match.
GSU will welcome UT Arlington (10-12, 4-3) Saturday at 6 p.m. The Mavericks have lost three of their last four including losses against Arkansas State and Texas State over a week ago.
Head coach Diane Seymour's team is led by Qiana Canete, who is just three kills away from No. 250 on the year. Taylor Murata leads the UTA defense with nearly 17 digs per match.
The Panthers will look to improve to 3-7 all-time versus Texas State and 2-6 all-time against UTA.
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