GREENVILLE, N.C. – Kylee Garisson had double-digit kills, yet the Runnin' Bulldogs dropped a straight set decision to Eastern Washington in Friday afternoon to wrap up play at the 2018 Pirate Invitational hosted by East Carolina.
 
Eastern Washington (7-3) took all three sets by scores of 26-24, 25-15, and 25-20, collecting 32 kills with a .142 hitting percentage.  Gardner-Webb (3-6) tallied 31 kills on the afternoon, attacking at a .094 rate.
 
"This was definitely a rough weekend for us," said Gardner-Webb head coach Leo Sayles after the match.  "We were not able to settle our offense and we struggled with confidence.  Amanda Sahm was a solid leader throughout the weekend, but I do believe our youth was revealed, sadly.  We have to learn that success is a choice we make ever rep and every practice, if we want to see positive results."
 
Garrison led the GWU attack with 10 kills on 36 swings, followed by Maya Jeffcoat-Troy, who added six smashed on 22 attempts.  Amanda Sahm provided a team-high 15 assists.
 
Charissa Coleman led the Runnin' Bulldogs in digs with 16, while Sahm followed with 13.  Elizabeth Griffith led the block for GWU, collecting five total blocks throughout the bout.
 
Kamille Langford led Eastern Washington in kills with eight on 19 tries, while Samantha Boever contributed with a match-high 26 assists.
 
Puaoolelagi Sao led the Eagles with 14 digs, while Kaitlin Sugai had a match-high six total blocks.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs return to action on Tuesday, September 11 at North Carolina A&T.  The match is slated for a 6:00 pm start time.