Volleyball Takes Pair of Losses on Day One of Mercer Invitational

Friday, September 13

Macon, Ga. / Hawkins Arena

10 a.m. CT / 11 a.m. ET

Southern Miss

3-4,0-0Sun Belt

Presbyterian

3-5,0-0Big South

Southern Miss.

Presbyterian

Photo by: Mercer University Athletics

Volleyball Takes Pair of Losses on Day One of Mercer Invitational

9/13/2024 10:45:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

MACON, Ga.- The Southern Miss Golden Eagles finish day one of the Mercer Invitational with a pair of losses Friday in Macon.

Southern Miss started strong but narrowly dropped the opening set 25-23. Sadie McAda and Aysu Dalogullari were key contributors early on, with Francesca Panunzio setting up several crucial plays.

Despite a late comeback effort, the Golden Eagles couldn't close the gap to finish the set 25-23.

The Golden Eagles bounced back in the second set with McAda's kills and solid defense from Sunni Sheppard, who led the back row with key digs.

Panunzio's assists in the match helped Southern Miss clinch the set 25-23 and even the match.

Southern Miss struggled with errors in the third set, allowing Presbyterian to pull ahead. McAda and Izzy Kronenberg kept the Eagles competitive, but a few misplays down the stretch led to a 25-20 defeat.

The Golden Eagles came back with resilience in the fourth set.

Torrey Tkach and McAda had essential kills, while Panunzio's defense and serving played a pivotal role. Southern Miss took the set 25-21 to force a deciding fifth set.

Both teams traded points in the decisive fifth set, but Presbyterian edged ahead late.

McAda continued to lead the Eagles offensively, but a close 15-13 loss handed the match to Presbyterian.

McAda finished the match with 18 kills and 23 digs, earning her a double-double. Dalogullari also had a double-double with 11 kills and 11 digs.

Tkach was also in the double digits with 10 kills, one solo block, and six block assists.

Hayden Riddle led the Golden Eagles with 24 assists, while Panunzio added 22.

The second match resulted in a 1-3 loss against Mercer.

The Golden Eagles started slow, falling behind early in the first set.

McAda led the Eagles with 8 kills, but errors gave Mercer the advantage. The Bears' offensive performance pushed them to a 25-15 win, as the Golden Eagles could not catch up.

The second set was a back-and-forth battle featuring 12 ties. Southern Miss showed resilience, with Dalogullari stepping up with 10 kills.

Key defensive plays from Sunni Sheppard, who had 20 digs, helped the Eagles take the set 27-25, evening the match at 1-1.

Southern Miss couldn't maintain their momentum in the third set. Despite efforts from Tkach and McAda, Mercer built a steady lead.

The Eagles dropped the set 25-18, falling behind 2-1 in the match.

In a closely contested fourth set, Southern Miss kept the score tight, with McAda and Dalogullari contributing key points along with a solo stuff block from Izzy Kronenberg.

However, Mercer's late plays sealed the set 25-22, and the match. Despite their efforts, the Golden Eagles couldn't extend the game to a fifth set, falling 3-1.

Offensively, McAda led the Golden Eagles with 14 kills in the match, while Panunzio led the match with 31 assists.

Sheppard led the match with 20 digs for defense, while Kroneberg led the Golden Eagles with four blocks.

Southern Miss now heads into day two of the Mercer Invitational 3-5.

The Golden Eagles will play Elon Saturday morning, who stands 5-5 (0-0 CAA) after splitting their matches with a 0-3 loss against Mercer and a 3-2 win against Presbyterian.

To keep up with the Golden Eagles, follow @SouthernMissVB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates.