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By: Josh Fuller

COLUMBUS – The Columbus State University volleyball team fell 3-1 (25-18, 24-26, 25-21, 25-23) to Augusta Friday in the Peach Belt Conference opener for both teams. The match took place at the Lumpkin Center in Columbus.
 
Mary McCarty had a season high 21 kills for the Lady Cougars while Megan Frame added 14 of her own. Frame hit a team best .290 in the match, committing just five errors. Abby King had a double-double with 48 assists and 10 digs. Caytlin Merritt had a match high 24 digs.
 
"We left some points out there tonight," said head coach Casey Cornett. "We had our moments today, but we have to be more consistent in order to pick up wins in conference play. Give Augusta credit, they came here with a game plan and walked away with a victory."
 
The match started off tight and stayed that way the entire night. Augusta built up an early 8-4 lead in the opening set, but CSU quickly tightened things up with back-to-back kills from Frame to cut the deficit to just one. After the Jags made it a 9-7 match, CSU reeled off four straight points to go ahead 11-9. Sabrina Rodgers had a service ace in the run.
 
However, Augusta bounced back, winning 13 of the next 15 points to take command of the set. CSU was able to get to 18 points before the Jags took the set 25-18.
 
The two sides exchanged points early in the second set until the Lady Cougars reeled off four straight points to go up 16-11. The lead didn't last long though as Augusta quickly tied it back up with five straight points of its own.
 
Columbus State (6-2, 0-1 PBC) was able to build the lead back up to three at 20-17, but Augusta once again came back and tied the match at 21. The score was tied twice more until back-to-back kills from Zoemy Barreto Pereira and Savannah Miller gave the Lady Cougars the 26-24 set win.
 
The third set was tight with neither team holding a lead larger than four points throughout the set. The Jags were ahead for the majority and took a 19-16 edge and threatened to put the game away. However, CSU battled back and got three straight points to tie it up. Miller and Frame added kills during the run.
 
Augusta (4-2, 1-0) was able to cap the set off 25-21 to go ahead 2-1.
 
In the fourth, CSU won the first two points before Augusta came right back with four straight points of its own. Things were still tight until Augusta rattled off three straight points to increase the lead to 12-8. The lead eventually went to 17-11 before the Lady Cougars made one last run.
 
Down six, CSU won five of the next six points to pull within 18-16. Pereira had two kills in the spurt while Frame and Andrea Skipor each added one.
 
Augusta broke the run with two straight points but CSU came roaring back again. The Lady Cougars won five straight points to take a 21-20 lead. The Jags were able to rebound and escaped a prolonged set by winning two of the final three points to take the set 25-23.
 
Columbus State will be back in action Saturday afternoon against Georgia College. The match will begin at 2 p.m. inside the Lumpkin Center.