ATHENS, Ga. - The Florida Gulf Coast University volleyball team dropped two matches Saturday in the Bulldog Invitational at the Ramsey Student Center on the campus of the University of Georgia.
In the morning contest, the Blue and Green (2-8 overall) fell to Georgia (7-2 overall), 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-18).
The Bulldogs recorded 46 kills on 107 attempts while the Eagles had 43 kills on 115 attempts and hit .209. Valentina Gonzalez led the Georgia attack with 13 kills, four service aces and two blocks, while Kathleen Gates had 37 assists to go along with six digs in the three-set win.
Brittany Muse (Arcadia, Fla./DeSoto County HS) recorded a team-high ten kills. Setter Camil Dominguez (Santo Domingo, D.R./Santa Teresita) picked up 35 assists and eight digs. Jacqueline Cowden (Danville, Calif./Temple/Monte Vista HS), Lindsey Childs (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./South Plantation HS), and Jessica Barnes (Winter Haven, Fla./Haines City HS) each registered seven kills, while Chelsea Lyles (Colorado Springs, Col./Western Nebraska CC/Harrison HS) and Caitlin Shawver (Lauderdale by the Sea, Fla./Barry/Northeast HS) tallied five kills each.
The Blue and Green jumped out to an early 13-8 lead, after kills from Shawver and Lyles and a pair of attack errors from the Bulldogs. A kill from Lyles gave the Eagles a 20-19 lead, but the Bulldogs used a 6-0 run to take the set (25-20).
In the second set, FGCU held their own and put pressure on UG. With the score tied at 20-20 the Bulldogs used another run (5-1 run) to wrap-up the set 25-21.
The Eagles continued their solid play in the third set, but Georgia eventually went on to win 25-18 to take the match.
In their final game of the Bulldog Invitational, the Eagles (2-9 overall) fell to No. 9 Washington (8-0 overall) by a 3-0 margin (25-13, 25-14, 25-14).
Washington hit .464 against the Eagles, while FGCU finished the match with a -.013 attack percentage. Kindra Carlson led UW with 14 kills and a .619 attack percentage. Jenna Hagglund distributed 32 assists and also had two aces and six digs.
Shawver led the Eagles with six kills. Dominguez dished out a team-high 19 assists.
In the first set, Washington jumped out to a quick 20-8 lead. After three kills and a block put UW up 24-13, a FGCU service miss gave the Huskies the set, 25-13. Washington outhit the Eagles .423-.130 in the first frame.
The Eagles jumped ahead 4-1 in the second set, but UW went on a 5-2 run to tie it back up at 6-6. The Huskies used a 6-2 run to take a 12-8 lead, forcing the Eagles to take their first timeout. Washington continued to build its lead and went on to take the set, 25-14.
In the third set, Washington got another quick start and shot out to a 20-10 lead. Trailing 24-14, the Eagles dumped serve to end the match, 25-14.
FGCU will be back in action on the road Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 6:30 p.m. when they will face Florida Atlantic in a non-conference matchup.
