Augusta struggles to find rhythm in loss to Emmanuel University

By Rodrigo Burgos Avila | Editor in chief

Augusta University volleyball struggled to find its rhythm on Tuesday, Oct. 7, falling to Emmanuel University in straight sets by scores of 20-25, 24-26, 23-25 inside Christenberry Fieldhouse.

The match also served as the program’s annual Cancer Awareness Night—“Here to Win”— as the team and fans showed support for those affected by cancer.

The Jaguars (13-3) could not get their offense going as the Lions (10-5) dominated from the service line, recording nine aces to Augusta’s two. Emmanuel’s consistent pressure made it difficult for AU to stay in system, and their attacks through the middle and down the line exposed defensive gaps throughout the match.

The Jags showed signs of life in the second set, rallying late with a five-point run behind Layne Witherspoon, who delivered two service aces during that stretch to tie the score at 24. However, Emmanuel closed it out with two quick points to take the 2-0 lead.

Senior Lauren Nelson came off the bench in the second set and made an instant impact, providing energy and communication in the court. Nelson led the Jaguars with 12 kills on a .357 hitting percentage, while Witherspoon followed with 11 kills on .242 hitting. Setter Mia Saavedra finished with 35 assists to lead the Jaguar offense.

“I think I saw a lot, not starting,” Nelson said. “Watching the game, I knew a couple of the hitters on the other side and their tendencies. The biggest thing we were struggling with was our energy. It felt a little dead. I didn’t care if I got an error—I just wanted to up my teammates, because at the end of the day, that’s what gets us going.”

Despite the loss, Nelson emphasized the importance of adapting when parts of the game are not clicking.

“If one thing isn’t going well, we have to find another variation of the game to better,” she said. “We have to be prepared for that. Volleyball’s a game of errors— whoever makes the least amount of errors.”

Emmanuel was led by outside hitter Ellie Jackson, who recorded a double-double with 14 kills on a .263 hitting percentage and 18 digs. Setter Marisa Pesut added 32 assists for the Lions, who improved their record to 10-5 with the win.

Emmanuel Coach James Friddle credited his team’s serving strategy for keeping AU off balance throughout the match.

“We were trying to mix our serve as much as possible and keep them off balance,” Friddle said. “We’ve done a good job for most of the year. That’s our big thing— we want each of our athletes to be the best server at their position. So if I’m a setter, I want to be the best serving setter in the country. That’s the goal.”

Dekyra Dennis, AU’s Assistant coach, noted that the Jaguars struggled to connect on both sides of the ball.

“We just weren’t on the same page at all, in any part of the game, from offense to defense to passing,” Dennis said. “When we get back on that page this weekend, I think it’ll be a different story.”

The Jaguars will look to bounce back on Saturday, Oct. 11, as they host a doubleheader tournament at Christenberry Fieldhouse. First off, they will host a conference matchup against their rivals, USC Aiken at 1 p.m. and then they will play Shaw University at 5 p.m.

Contact Rodrigo Burgos Avila at rburgosavila@augusta.edu.

Layne Witherspoon (20) goes up for one of her 11 kills during the match against the Lions on Tuesday Oct. 7. (photo by Lydia Williams/the Bell Ringer)

At the top of the page, Lauren Nelson (2) soars above the block to record one of her 12 kills in the match against Emmanuel. At the bottom, DS Hunter MacFarland gets down for a dig. (photos by Lydia Williams/the Bell Ringer)