ARLINGTON, Texas – The UT Arlington volleyball team's comeback effort fell just short on Saturday night in a five-set loss to Georgia State (13-25, 22-25, 31-29, 25-20, 12-15).
 
Georgia State blitzed the Mavericks right out of the gates, jumping out to a 10-5 lead. After some back-and-forth, Georgia State went on a 7-1 run to take a 10-point lead. The Panthers outhit the Mavs .708-.240. en route to taking the opening set.
 
UTA looked to have control of the second set, going up 10-6, but the Panthers responded with a 10-4 run to take the lead and prompt a Mavs timeout. Trailing 24-19, UTA made a final push with three straight points before a Georgia State kill closed out the set.
 
With their backs against the wall, the Mavs took a marathon third set on their sixth set point. The Panthers fought back from a six-point deficit to take a 23-22 lead. Georgia State had match point, but an overturned call in UTA's favor kept the Mavericks alive. A Georgia State attack error ended the set and helped the Mavs avoid a sweep.
 
The fourth set stayed close until the Mavs closed on a 5-2 run to even the match at two sets apiece.
 
The Mavericks got off to a slow start in the deciding set, as the Panthers jumped out to an 8-4 lead. The Panthers held a two point lead throughout the final frame, and the Mavs were never able to close the gap. A service ace by the Panthers secured the 15-12 win. GSU slowed the Mavericks offense in the fifth set, holding UTA to just a .074 hitting percentage.
 
UP NEXT
The Mavs are back at home next weekend for matches against South Alabama (Friday, Oct. 18) and Troy (Saturday, Oct. 19).
 
FOLLOW THE MAVS
For the latest news on UTA Volleyball, log on to UTAMavs.com or stay connected to the Mavs on social media. Follow the Mavericks on Twitter @UTAMavsVB, on Instagram @UTAMavsVB and on Facebook at Facebook.com/UTAMavsVB.