Jags open season 0-2 after difficult first day at Lions Den Invitational
By Rodrigo Burgos Avila | Sports editor
The Augusta University volleyball team’s 2026 season got off to a difficult start Friday, as the Jaguars dropped both matches on the opening day of the Lions Den Invitational in Franklin Springs, Georgia.
Augusta fell to Mars Hill 3-1 (18-25, 16-25, 25-20, 19-25) after taking one set in the opening match before being swept by host Emmanuel (15-25, 22-25, 17-25) later in the evening.
The numbers told a similar story across the two matches. Augusta struggled with attacking efficiency and committed a number of errors, while a significant portion of the offensive workload fell on a small group of hitters.
Against Mars Hill, Augusta recorded 43 kills but committed 25 attacking errors on 141 attempts, finishing with a .128 hitting percentage. Nikol Antova and Essence Jones combined for 70 of the Jaguars’ 141 attacking attempts.
Antova led Augusta with 12 kills but finished with a .073 hitting percentage after recording nine attacking errors on 41 attempts. She also added three service aces.
Jones provided one of the Jaguars’ strongest all-around performances, finishing with 11 kills on a .379 hitting percentage while adding 10 digs for a double-double.
Emma Haren added eight kills and hit .278, while Layne Witherspoon finished with five kills.
Augusta’s offense was distributed primarily by Andrea Rodriguez and Kinley Nichols, who recorded 18 and 16 assists, respectively. Rodriguez also added 11 digs, while Hunter MacFarland led the Jaguars defensively with 10 digs.
The Jaguars were unable to carry any momentum into their second match of the day.
Emmanuel swept Augusta, as the Jaguars again struggled to establish consistent offensive rhythm. Augusta finished the match with 26 kills and 19 attacking errors on 108 attempts, resulting in a .065 hitting percentage.
Antova once again carried the largest offensive workload, recording 15 kills on 38 attempts. Jones followed with six kills on 22 attempts, while Sofiia Snitsarevych added five.
Antova also recorded 11 digs, giving her a double-double in the match.
Rodriguez led Augusta’s offense with 24 assists, while MacFarland paced the Jaguars defensively with 17 digs. Moni Anjos added 17 digs of her own.
Through the opening day, Antova and Jones accounted for more than half of Augusta’s attacking attempts in both matches, illustrating the volume placed on the Jaguars’ primary attackers. Augusta will look for more offensive balance and cleaner execution Saturday as it closes the tournament.
The Jaguars will have one more opportunity at the Lions Den Invitational to earn their first win of the season when they face Mount Olive at 12:30 p.m.
Contact Rodrigo Burgos Avila at rburgosavila@augusta.edu.
