Georgia State Sweeps Louisiana Tech Led by Akira Burt's 16 Kills

Georgia State Sweeps Louisiana Tech Led by Akira Burt’s 16 Kills

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Akira Burt recorded 16 kills on Thursday night to lead Georgia State to a 3-0 sweep over Louisiana Tech at the GSU Sports Arena.

The Panthers took the match in straight sets with scores of 25-23, 25-12, and 25-15, according to Georgia State University.

This victory moves Georgia State to 11-16 overall and 5-10 in Sun Belt Conference play. The performance was defined by a high level of efficiency, as the Panthers hit .384 for the match and recorded eight blocks and nine service aces.

Burt, who became the 11th Panther in program history to reach 1,000 career kills last week, displayed remarkable precision. She committed only one error while hitting .625 and contributed four blocks to the win.

While the first set remained competitive, the statistical gap between the two programs widened significantly as the match progressed. Louisiana Tech, which holds a 9-21 record and a 1-14 mark in the Sun Belt, struggled to find offensive rhythm against the Panthers’ defense.

Louisiana Tech vs Georgia State College Womens Volleyball 2026 — USA College Volleyball

The Bulldogs were held to a .093 hitting percentage throughout the night. In contrast, Georgia State’s offensive pressure was sustained by several key contributors:

Player Stat Category Value
Akira Burt Kills 16
Annelore Engels Assists 35
Sophia Johnson Kills 9
Tyra McKinnie (LT) Kills 7

Annelore Engels played a central role in the distribution of the offense. The freshman recorded a match-high 35 assists and added five service aces and nine digs to help secure the sweep.

The match began with a back-and-forth struggle for control. Engels used her serve to help Georgia State jump to an early 4-0 lead, but Louisiana Tech responded with six consecutive points to take an 8-5 advantage.

Georgia State managed to stabilize the set when Sophia Johnson recorded a kill to tie the score at 13-13. A subsequent kill by Johnson and an ace from Julie Arias allowed the Panthers to take a 16-14 lead.

Louisiana Tech regained the advantage late in the set, scoring three straight points to lead 20-18. Following a Georgia State timeout, the Panthers won the final five points of the set, including service work from Engels, to close it out 25-23.

The second and third sets saw Georgia State exert much greater control over the tempo. In the second set, the Panthers hit .393 and never relinquished their lead after establishing an early advantage through an Engels service run and blocks by Johnson and Mina Olgar.

The Panthers carried a 15-8 lead into the media timeout and eventually cruised to a 25-12 win. The third set followed a similar pattern of dominance, with Georgia State opening with a 3-0 lead via Engels’ serve.

After a brief 4-4 tie, the Panthers pulled away with a 13-7 lead fueled by back-to-back kills from Manuela Altieri Liev. A kill by Arias pushed the lead to 20-13, and despite a small rally by the Bulldogs, Georgia State secured the final three points to end the match 25-15.

Georgia State will host Louisiana Tech for the second match of the series on Friday at 3 p.m. at the GSU Sports Arena.

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