MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – In a match featuring four extremely close sets, the Georgia College & State University Volleyball team (6-9, 3-2 PBC) lost to Peach Belt Conference (PBC) leader Lander University (11-3, 5-1 PBC) Thursday at the Centennial Center.

The Bobcats dropped the first set 52-21 then rebounded to even things out with a 25-23 win in the second. The final two sets went the way of the Bearcats, both with 25-21 scores.

"I'm really proud of the way we played," said head coach Gretchen Krumdieck. "We dug ourselves into holes, then dug ourselves right back out to keep things close."

The Bobcats had trouble getting the offense going, with their best set of hitting – the second – coming at a .111 clip.

Sophomore Brooke Roberts (Rome) led with eight kills, coming on .368 hitting. She also had five blocks. GCSU got a few points from the block, tallying 12 as a team. Junior Mary Kate Kotzin (Dunwoody) led that category with six.

Senior Emily Long (Mooresville, North Carolina) had 16 assists and 14 digs, while freshman Riese Johnson (Cumming) added her first career double-double with 14 helps and 10 digs.

Freshman libero Alanis Bernis (Auburn) paced the team with 27 digs, aided by four others in double digits. Rachel Machovec (Buckhead) added 16, Long 14, Ally Hall (Cumming) 13 and Johnson 10.

The Bobcats are back in action tomorrow, Sept. 23 at 3 p.m., taking on Lander once again at home.

As a proud recipient of the 2021 PBC Sportsmanship Institution of the Year, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GC Athletics is now two-time winners of both the PBC Commissioner's Cup and the league's sportsmanship honor. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in post-season competition as well as high-level academic success and community-service involvement. Bobcat Athletics embodies the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life." Sign up at @GCBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports.