ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. | Georgia College & State University women's volleyball left it all on the court in a five-set battle against the University of South Carolina-Aiken, but the Pacers edged the Bobcats 3-2 in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament semifinals Friday (Nov. 13) afternoon at Flagler Gym.
The Bobcats fought through five sets before falling 27-25, 20-25, 25-22, 16-25 and 11-15, bringing their 2026 season to a close.
Georgia College finished its season with a 13-22 overall record and a 7-8 mark in conference play, while USC Aiken improved to 22-6 overall and 12-3 in the PBC.Â
The Bobcats battled through a tight opening set, overcoming a late USC Aiken push to secure a 27-25 victory. After the Pacers responded with a 25-20 win in the second, Georgia College found itself trailing 17-11 in the third. GCSU answered with a strong run to take a 20-19 lead before holding off USC Aiken down the stretch for a 25-22 win, moving one set away from the championship match.
USC Aiken responded in the fourth, building an early advantage and maintaining control to take the set 25-16. In the decisive fifth, Georgia College jumped out to a 5-2 lead before the Pacers rallied with a six-point run to take control. The Bobcats continued to battle, but USC Aiken held on for a 15-11 victory to advance to the championship.
Avery Huyck led Georgia College with 14 kills, followed by Reece Wright with 12 and Emersyn Mullvain with 11. Lexi Baum recorded 22 assists, while Ile Bernis added 21. Defensively, Liv Diaz collected a match-high 36 digs, while Huyck added 14 and Bernis followed with 13. Nya Warren led the Bobcats at the net with five blocks.
Georgia College closes its season with key conference victories and a PBC semifinal appearance, as the Bobcats' seniors leave behind a lasting impact on the program.
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About GCSU AthleticsÂ
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among all public colleges and universities in Division II for five consecutive academic years, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 13 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won six consecutive Presidents' Awards for Academic Excellence, and are two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup and six-time winners of the PBC Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in postseason 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 @GCSUBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports or subscribe to the GSCU Athletics e-newsletter to receive the latest news, schedule updates and to interact with GCSU Athletics.
