GREENVILLE, N.C. – Kylee Garrison registered double-digit kills in both matches, and Hannah Donaldson eclipsed 400 career kills in the opening set of the day, but the Gardner-Webb volleyball team dropped a pair of matches on Friday on the first day of competition from the Pirate Invitational inside Minges Coliseum in Greenville, N.C. 
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs began their final of three regular season tournaments with a three-set loss to East Carolina (25-15, 25-16, 25-22) before falling to Appalachian State later in the night in a tight four-frame affair, 3-1 (28-26, 25-23, 19-25, 25-22). 
 
Garrison, playing for the first time since the season-opening Gamecock Classic, helped lead Gardner-Webb (3-6) with 14 kills and five digs against East Carolina (3-4) and 10 kills and 11 digs against Appalachian State (4-7). Donaldson added 10 kills in the early match on .444 hitting, while Lauryn Rocassin and Tori Weatherley dished out 18 and 15 assists, respectively. 
 
Rocassin (13 kills, 21 assists) – who became one of just 10 players in the nation last week to post a triple-double this season – and Weatherley (17 assists, 10 digs) each joined Garrison with double-doubles in the evening action against the Mountaineers. Mikah McIntosh paced the 'Dogs with 23 digs, while Madison Deslatte added eight kills, Donaldson and Delaney McCullough tallied seven and Makena Phillips chipped in with six. 
 
Gardner-Webb hit .123 with 39 kills against ECU and .125 with 54 kills in the later matchup with App State. 
 
"We definitely had glimpses of some really good volleyball today, but we are still searching for the consistency part," said Gardner-Webb head coach Eric Plunkett. "We battled and showed some competitive fight in our second match today, and we are going to build on that for a tough match against UTRGV tomorrow."
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs notched 13 kills to East Carolina's 10 in the first set of the afternoon, but the Pirates managed to hit .375 to take the opening frame, 25-15. ECU took control of the second set early, going on for a 25-16 victory in set two, but the 'Dogs pushed back in the third game and led 13-10 before ultimately falling 25-22 following a big run from the Pirates.
 
Pinned against the Mountaineers later in the day, Gardner-Webb forced set point in the first frame, 24-23. But App State countered, pushing the score to 26-26 before taking a 1-0 lead with a 28-26 victory. The 'Dogs surged to a 7-0 advantage in set two, and even had the App State doubled up, 14-7, but the Mountaineers again powered back to claim another come-from-behind win, this time by a score of 26-24.
 
GWU continued to battle, jumping out to a large lead in set three before ultimately cruising to a 25-19 victory to make it a 2-1 match. However, App State responded with a strong effort in game four, leading for much of the frame before capping the match with a 25-22 final to round out the first day of action for the 'Dogs in Greenville. 
 
Gardner-Webb will return to play tomorrow, Saturday, September 18 for one final match at the Pirate Invitational. The Runnin' Bulldogs are set to face UT Rio Grande Valley inside Minges Coliseum beginning at noon.