University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss
12-5,3-3Sun Belt
Georgia State
7-11,1-5Sun Belt
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia St. | 26 | 25 | 18 | 20 | 1 |
| Southern Miss. | 28 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Golden Eagles’ Offense Explodes in Win Over Georgia State
10/9/2026 5:31:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss (12-5, 3-3 SBC) snaps their first losing streak of the season as they earn a 3-1 (28-26, 20-25, 25-18, 25-20) victory over Georgia State (7-11, 1-5 SBC) Friday at the Wellness Center. The Golden Eagles finished with 68 kills to Georgia State's 44 and hit .209 as a team, holding the Panthers to .147.
Diana Wells and Sadie McAda led Southern Miss' offensive attack as they each finish with 19 kills while Elly Stewart added 12 at a .417 clip. Wells hit .311, tallied over 10 kills in for a third straight match for the first time in her career, and set a new season high in kills in her first career start. Allie Hazelwood recorded a career-high 61 assists to break her own record for the most assists by a Sun Belt player in a match this season. Sunni Sheppard paced the defense as she surpassing the 20-dig mark in back-to-back matches with 25, followed by McAda and Hazelwood who finished with 17 and 11 respectively to complete their double-doubles. For McAda it was her 12th double-double of the 2026 campaign and her fourth in as many matches, as Hazelwood recorded her 5th. Southern Miss tied its season high in assists with 64, finished one kill shy of its season best with 68, and set a new season high with 85 digs.
How it Happened
Wells opened the scoring with a kill, and the first set stayed close through the media break, when Southern Miss led 15-14. Georgia State pushed ahead late, but the Golden Eagles rallied to tie the score at 24 and kept answering as the set went to extra points. Wells put Southern Miss in front at 27-26, then Aubrey Judd finished the set with a kill for a 28-26 win.
Southern Miss built an early lead in the second set, but Georgia State answered with a 7-1 run to move in front, 14-11. The Golden Eagles pulled closer with kills and block assists from Stewart and Wells, but the Panthers made another push to regain control and took the set, 25-20.
The third set was close early before Southern Miss broke away with a 5-0 run to lead 12-6. Wells and Maggie Sewell contributed at the net, and Stewart added an ace during the stretch. McAda's back-to-back kills helped spark another surge, extending the lead to 20-12. Georgia State narrowed the gap, but Southern Miss closed out a 25-18 win after hitting .361 in the set.
The Golden Eagles carried that momentum into the fourth, using a 4-0 run capped by a Sheppard ace to take an 8-5 lead. Georgia State rallied in front, 13-10, before Wells delivered four kills during a five-point Southern Miss run. The Golden Eagles kept pressing after the media timeout, building a 22-15 advantage. Emily Davis supplied two kills late, and McAda put away the final point in a 25-20 set win.
Up next
Southern Miss will travel to ULM for their fourth conference series of the season, with matches slated for Thursday and Friday on Oct. 15-16.
To keep up with the Golden Eagles, follow our Instagram (@southernmissvball), X (@southernmissvb), and Facebook (Southern Miss Volleyball).
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