STATESBORO, Ga. - The Charleston Southern volleyball team opened the SpringHill Suites Invitational Friday, Sept. 17 with a 3-0 (26-24, 25-21, 25-16) defeat to East Tennessee State. ETSU rallied for a 26-24 first-set victory and claimed sets two and three at Georgia Southern's Hanner Fieldhouse.

The two Buccaneer programs demonstrated solid defense throughout the match, as ETSU (7-4) registered 10 total blocks and CSU (4-7) posted eight blocks. East Tennessee State added 69 digs, while CSU had 67. Charleston Southern posted a .100 hitting percentage for the match, finding a hard time getting in rhythm. ETSU fared slightly better, at .166, recording 46 kills to CSU's 28.

For the match, Amanda Hill recorded nine kills and 20 digs to lead CSU, and overtook second place all-time in program history with 1,276 digs. Amy Nokes led with 12 assists to go with six kills and seven digs. Cori Holeman contributed a match-high six block assists; Erin LaVenice recorded one solo block and three assists.

Tricia Rodl and Kayla Klinger joined Hill with double-digit dig totals, collecting 14 and 11 digs, respectively.

Megan Devine led ETSU with 14 kills and added 15 digs for a double-double. Teammate Erin Ryan posted a 10-kill, 11-dig double-double. Whitney Cogburn paced the team with 31 assists.

The match began with ETSU taking an early 9-6 advantage. A 12-4 run by Charleston Southern yielded an 18-13 CSU advantage. Hill and Amberle Trinder added two kills apiece during the rally, and a Rodl kill capped the Lady Bucs surge. A 7-1 ETSU run put the Buccaneers ahead, 23-21.

Charleston Southern reclaimed the lead at 24-23, as Hill earned a kill in between two ETSU errors. Facing defeat, East Tennessee State called a timeout. Kills from Alysa Long and Megan Devine spurred the Buccaneers to score the final three points of the set for a 26-24 victory and 1-0 lead in the match.

The CSU Lady Bucs stormed out to a 6-1 lead in set two. After ETSU sliced the margin to one at 12-11, Charleston Southern scored three of the next four points. Hill posted two kills before a LaVenice-Holeman block gave CSU a 15-12 advantage. ETSU staged a 7-1 rally, leading to a 19-16 lead and a CSU timeout. The Lady Bucs responded with a 3-0 skein, as Holeman assisted two blocks and sent down a kill to tie the set. East Tennessee State regained momentum to score the ensuing three points, and held on for a 25-21 victory to take a 2-0 lead.

ETSU led set three from its first point, winning the match with a 25-16 triumph in the final stanza. East Tennessee State hit .214 in set three, while CSU connected for a .075 attack percentage.

CSU will compete twice on Saturday, Sept. 18, beginning with a noon matchup against South Alabama. The Lady Bucs will conclude the tournament Saturday at 7 p.m., facing the host Georgia Southern Eagles.