BRUNSWICK, GA. – St. Thomas University's Bobcats Volleyball team (7-12, 6-5 TSC) defeated the College of Coastal Georgia Mariners (13-10, 6-4 TSC) in five-sets (25-21, 21-25, 21-25, 25-17, 15-10) on Saturday afternoon to earn a hard fought Sun Conference win.

For the second time this season the Bobcats from St. Thomas University faced-off against the Mariners from Coastal Georgia to complete their head-to-head schedule against each other. In the first match-up of the season, STU took the win over CCG in four sets from the Fernandez Family Center.

In a battle of teams competing for Sun Conference tournament berths, this game was essentially a must-win for both programs. Neither team was able to create much separation between each other in the first set, with the scores never being more than four points apart. St. Thomas claimed their first lead of the match following two consecutive attacking errors by Coastal Georgia as well as a service ace by Krista Kolbinkskie to force a Mariners time-out. Following the break, STU attempted to stave off CCG rallies but not before Coastal Georgia reduced the St. Thomas lead to just one, before STU used a time-out of their own. Coastal Georgia tied the match following the time-out but St. Thomas capitalized off of four consecutive CCG errors to claim the first set victory at 25-21.

St. Thomas looked to take control of the match in the second set, following the first set victory over Coastal Georgia. STU trailed CCG 1-5 before rallying to win four of the next five points to force a Mariner timeout with the score at 5-6. The Bobcats took the lead over the Mariners at 11-10 following a CCG error. St. Thomas established a two-point lead over Coastal Georgia at 17-15, before CCG claimed a 19-18 lead and did not relinquish the lead again, as CCG took the set 21-25 over STU.

The match was tied at 1-1 as the teams went into the third set. The two teams kept the score close throughout, with the lead never being more than four, when St. Thomas trailed 10-14 before calling a timeout. STU reduced the CCG lead to just two following an Arianna Bolinger service ace. STU was unable to reclaim the lead and dropped the third set, 21-25 to fall behind in the match, 1-2.

Trailing the Mariners 1-2 in sets, the Bobcats looked to tie the match in the fourth set. St. Thomas maintained control throughout the set, establishing multiple five-point leads over Coastal Georgia. Manuela Martinez started a STU run, following a kill, which saw the Bobcats lead go from six to ten points at 23-13, to command the fourth set. Kolbinskie finished the set with a kill to send the match to a decisive fifth and final set.

St. Thomas was once again able to control the set in the decisive frame. Back-to-back block assists from Nathaly Alvarez and Courtney White established the Bobcats lead, prior to STU getting out to an eight-point advantage following a Carli Batsel kill to put the score at 13-6, in favor of the Bobcats. White recorded four of her team-leading 11 blocks in the final set. CCG rallied for three consecutive points to cut the STU lead in half but Batsel was once again able to record a point to give STU a four-point advantage. One final CCG error was all the Bobcats needed to close out the match and earn their sixth Sun Conference win of the season and the season sweep over the Mariners.

Bobcat Leaders:

Arianna Bolinger: nine kills and 16 digs
Nathaly Alvarez: eight kills, 23 assists and 11 digs
Manuela Martinez: six kills and three block assists
Courtney White: seven kills and 11 total blocks

Up next for St. Thomas is a home match-up against the Florida National Conquistadors on October 17^th at 7 p.m. from the Fernandez Family Center.