MILLEDGEVILLE, GA. – The Limestone College women's volleyball team held off a comeback bid by host Georgia College and State University, 3-2, in the first match of the day before falling to Tusculum University, 3-1, to close out the 2019 Bobcat Classic on Saturday, September 7 at the Centennial Center.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Limestone 3, Georgia College 2
Records: Limestone (1-1), Georgia College (1-1)
Location: Centennial Center
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
 

• Sophomore Madysen Williams (Antioch, Tenn.) paced the Saints with 13 kills
• She also led the Blue and Gold with 27 digs and a pair of service aces
• Freshman Jordan Bowen (Omaha, Neb.) added 11 kills
• Senior Mia Bergan (Aberdeen, S.D.) finished with 42 assists, 11 digs and five kills
• Junior Vanessa Blas (Concord, N.C.) tallied 10 kills
• Senior Aidan Rohrer (Greenville, S.C.) posted eight kills and five assisted blocks
• Sophomore Bailey Carpenter (Lawrenceville, Ga.) chipped in 24 digs and three assists
• Limestone won sets one (25-18) and two (25-21) before winning the decisive fifth set, 15-12
• Georgia College rallied by winning sets three (25-17) and four (25-20)

 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
First Set
 
The Bobcats doubled up the visitors, 4-2, early in the first set, but a vicious kill by Carpenter sparked a 10-0 spurt for the Blue and Gold to make it 10-4. Georgia College answered with three straight points, but kills from Carpenter and Williams would stake Limestone to a 15-8 advantage midway through the set.
 
Leading by five a few plays later, the Saints ran off four straight points – highlighted by a thunderous spike by Blas – to make it 20-11. The Bobcats climbed to within 24-18 late in the opening set, but Rohrer would give Limestone the win, 25-18, with a kill into the back corner – the first set win of the season.     
 
Second Set
 
Similar to the first set, Georgia College jumped out to an early 4-1 lead, but a kill from Rohrer got the Saints rolling as they won five of the next seven points to even things up a 6-all. Limestone kept rolling from there as a kill by Blas started a string of five straight points to give the visitors an 11-6 cushion.
 
The Bobcats temporarily ended the run, but a kill from Bowen and a service ace from Williams highlighted a 5-1 run to make it 16-8. GCSU pulled to within 21-18 late, but back-to-back kills from Bowen and a spike from senior Madison Ford (Hampstead, N.C.) helped the Saints hold on for a 25-21 set win.
 
Third Set
 
The teams split the first eight points in the third before a kill from Rohrer and a service ace from freshman Madi delBosque (Boca Raton, Fla.) staked the Blue and Gold to a 7-4 edge. Georgia College responded, however, with a 16-5 run to pull ahead 20-12 and would keep the match alive by winning the set 25-17.
 
Fourth Set
 
Limestone marched out to a 4-2 advantage in the fourth behind consecutive kills from Williams, but the Bobcats replied with four straight points to take a 6-4 lead. Four kills from Bowen would then fuel an 8-2 counterattack for the Saints as the visitors built up a 12-8 margin at the midway point of the frame.
 
That lead would not hold up as Georgia College rallied behind a 16-4 spurt to set up set point, 24-16, in the late stages. The Saints closed the margin to within 24-20 behind a kill from Ford and an ace by Bergan, but it was not quite enough as the Bobcats forced a decisive fifth set with a 25-20 win.
 
Fifth Set
 
The home-standing Bobcats jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the fifth, but a kill from Bergan started a 3-0 mini-run as Limestone tied things up at 3-all. Trailing 7-4 a few moments later, a pair of kills by Williams and Blas put the Saints in the driver's seat as 9-4 stretch put the visitors in front 13-10 in the late going.
 
Georgia College closed the set to within 13-12, but two straight kills by Blas and Bowen allowed the Saints to hold on for their first win of the 2019 season with a 15-12 set victory. 
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Tusculum 3, Limestone 1
Records: Tusculum (1-2), Limestone (1-2)
Location: Centennial Center
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
 

• Blas posted 16 kills, eight digs, two service aces, and a block in the second match of the day
• Sophomore Madyson Lousignont (Las Vegas, Nev.) chipped in seven kills and four aces
• Bergan added 31 assists to go with 17 digs in the afternoon session
• Carpenter finished with 22 digs and three assists
• delBosque recorded 16 digs and a service ace
• Sophomore Madeline Yeager (Sacramento, Calif.) had three kills, an ace, and a dig
• Limestone won a marathon second set (31-29)
• Tusculum took set one (25-19), set three (25-20), and set four (25-10)

 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
First Set
 
Lousignont got the Saints off on the right foot to start the second match of the day as a kill and pair of service aces staked the Blue and Gold to a quick 5-0 lead. That margin would quickly evaporate, however, as the Pioneers rallied with an 18-7 stretch to take an 18-12 advantage in the first set.
 
Limestone recorded consecutive points for the first time since early in the contest as kills from Williams and Bowen powered a 4-1 run to close the gap to 19-16. It would not be enough though as Tusculum closed out the set win, 25-19, by scoring seven of the final eight points to move ahead 1-0 in the match.
 
Second Set
 
In set number two, the Pioneers jumped out to leads of 5-2 and 7-3 before an ace from Blas and a kill by Bergan highlighted a 3-0 spurt to pull Limestone to within 7-6. Tusculum countered with four straight points, but a pair of kills by Lousignont kept the Saints in striking distance, 11-10, a few plays later.
 
The Pioneers would use a 5-0 run to build up a 16-10 cushion, but consecutive service aces from Lousignont and an ace by delBosque powered a 10-3 counterattack as Limestone grabbed the lead, 20-19. Tusculum moved back in front, 21-20, but two kills from Yeager put the Saints at set point, 24-22.
 
That set point proved hard to come by as the Pioneers tied things up at 24-all a few moments later to set up an epic finish. Down the stretch, both teams would combined to serve for six set points before the Blue and Gold finally prevailed as kill from Blas capped a 3-0 run to close out a 31-29 set win.
 
Third Set
 
A pair of kills from Blas helped Limestone jump out to a quick 4-0 lead, but Tusculum rallied with four of their own to tie things up in the early stages. A service ace from Yeager highlighted a 3-2 stretch to give the Saints a 7-6 edge, but the Pioneers countered with a 21-8 run to take a 23-15 advantage.
 
The Blue and Gold would score five of the final seven points, getting kills from Bowen and Blas, but it was too little, too late as Tusculum closed out the 25-20 win to take a 2-1 match lead.
 
Fourth Set
 
Back-to-back kills from Blas allowed the Saints to grab a 4-3 edge in the fourth, but the Pioneers ran off four straight points to take a lead it would not relinquish the rest of the way. Limestone would pull to within 7-5 in the fourth set, but Tusculum took the match, 3-1, behind an 18-5 jaunt to close out the set.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Saints are back in action when they travel to face Wingate University in nonconference action on Tuesday, September 10 at 7 p.m.