DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 6, 2024) - Georgian Court Volleyball got their season underway Friday afternoon, though it was not the way they'd have hoped. GCU was swept in a pair of matches dropping their opening match to Embry-Riddle before falling to Flagler later in the afternoon. 

Game 1 - Embry-Riddle 3, Georgian Court 0 (11-25, 18-25, 10-25)
How it Happened
• Embry-Riddle led in most statistical categories. Though both teams attempted 94 attacks, the Eagles landed 44 kills to the Lions 19.
• GCU doubled up ERU in attack errors, 18-9. The Lions hit just .011 for the match while ERU hit .372.
• The Eagles went big on the serve, landing eight aces, but also hit 10 service errors. Georgian Court scored just one service ace but got the ball over the net with just two service errors.
• ERU's defense was a big difference. They totaled 13 blocks and 45 digs. Georgian Court picked up just 34 digs and scored two blocks.
Set 1
• Embry-Riddle got out to an early 6-1 lead in the first set and never trailed.
• They pushed the lead to nine, 11-2 which led to a Lions timeout.
• Two kills and a block put them up a match-high 13, 23-10 and a block put the set away 25-11.
Set 2
• Set two was much closer with the Lions holding a lead.
• GCU was leading early on. A 3-0 run helped out by three Eagles errors put Georgian Court up six, 11-5.
• Still trailing six, 13-7, Embry-Riddle went on an 8-0 run with four kills and two service aces during the run.
• An Eagle attack error tied the set at 16-all, but ERU went on to score the next six points and led the rest of the way, going up 2-0 with a 25-18 win.
Set 3
• The third set played out like the first. ERU jumped out an early lead and was able to cruise to the three-set win.
• ERU raced out scoring 11 of the first 13 points and 15 of the first 18.
• Nylene Mateo landed a couple of late kills, but it was too little too late as the Eagles took the third set 25-10.

Lion Stat Leaders
• Martina Croce led GCU scoring five kills.
• Nylene Mateo put down three kills and scooped a team-best eight digs.
• Dayna Diaz and Iciar Zayas split setting duties. Diaz passed nine assists and Zayas eight while they each totaled seven digs.
• Giorgia Cappelletti, Emily Hauptvogel and Chelsea Ross each added three kills.

For the Eagles
• Isabella Rujano hit .440 with 13 kills and 14 digs.
• Jaden McBride also hit .400 with 13 kills. She added three blocks as well.
• Dana Gibbons put back seven blocks with five kills.
• Ashlyn Koerner dished out 19 assists and Lexie Hage 18 with nine digs.

Game 2 Flagler 3, Georgian Court 0 (17-25, 16-25, 18-25)
How it Happened
• Flagler hit .417 as a team with 44 kills and just nine attack errors. The Lions committed 17 attack errors and hit .127 for the match.
• The Saints added points on the serve and on the block with seven aces and 10 blocking points. The Lions scored five aces and three blocks.
Set 1
• Flager was doubling up the Lions early, 8-4.
• The teams traded points, but GCU was unable to get closer than down three.
• The Saints were still up four, 12-8 and had six kills on nine attempts without an attack error.
• GCU brought the lead down to three, 12-9, but the Saint scored five in a row to push the lead up to a game-high eight, 17-9.
• Kills from Nylene Mateo and Giorgia Cappelletti brought the Lions back within three, but the Saints closed the set on a 7-4 run to take the opening set 25-17.
• Flagler hit .429 in the set. The Lions totaled eight attack errors.
Set 2
• Flagler score the opening point and never looked back. They grabbed an early 5-2 lead and held on to go up 2-0 in the match.
• Down 8-3, the Lions called a timeout, but the Saints continued to push the pace.
• The Saints went up double-figures and led 19-7.
• Georgian Court went on a bit of a run near the end of the frame.  They scored nine of the final 15, but Flagler scored enough for a 25-16 set two win.
Set 3
• Georgian Court scored the first two points and held an early lead.
• They continued to lead up 5-3, until Flagler tied the set at six and took their first lead 7-6.
• That was part of 4-0 Saints run that saw them take a 9-6 lead. They pushed that lead to seven, 15-8, and forcing GCU to use a timeout.
• The teams traded points the rest of the set which was enough for Flagler to win the set and the match, 25-18. 

Lion Stat Leaders
• Chelsea Ross landed nine kills and hit .412 for the match.
• Martina Croce added seven kills.
• Giorgia Cappelletti totaled five kills and six digs.
• Iciar Zayas totaled 14 assists and four digs.

For the Saints
• Jordan Berglin neared a double-double with nine kills and eight digs.
• Cassidy Bloom matched Berglin with nine kills as well.
• Clare Sheedy passed out 31 assists along with six kills and five digs.
• Gracie Fleming scored five kills and eight blocks.

News and Notes
• Giorgia Cappelletti scored her 300th career kill. 
• Martina Croce surpassed 300 career points.
• Amiyah Woods played her 250th career set.
• These were the Lions first ever matches against either Embry-Riddle or Flagler. 

Up Next
• Georgian Court wraps up their trip to Florida tomorrow afternoon. They take on UNC-Pembroke at 3 p.m.