Milledgeville, Ga. -- The Lady Hawks wasted no time getting the first win of 2015, defeating Columbus State in three sets in their first match at the Bobcat Classic hosted by Georgia College.

Set scores were 25-12, 25-15, and 25-15, respectively.

After trading points to open the first set, Shorter began pulling away and put the set out of the Cougars reach on a 9 point run with Cheyenne Frady serving. In the second set, the Lady Hawks once again used a long rally, scoring 8 consecutive points late to secure the advantage. And, in the final frame, Shorter used a pair of three point runs to jump ahead and close out the victory.

Offensively, Elizabeth Dowd led the attack; tallying a team high 13 kills. Kelsi Jones finished the night just out of double figures in the kills with 9, and Tiffani Estep recorded 8. Cheyenne McLemore turned in a match high 4 service aces; Frady finished with two, both coming in the first set. Dena Pierce led the way with 23 assists on the night, while Frady chipped in with 17.

Defensively, McLemore posted 14 digs, Dowd added 11, and Pierce recorded 8. In total, the Lady Hawks finished the night with 8 blocks – Estep, Jones, and Alicia McClellan each assisted on two each.

Shorter will continue play at the Bobcat Classic Saturday afternoon at 12:00pm against #15 Wingate University, before taking on the University of Charleston at 4:00pm. Fans unable to attend the matches can follow all the action live at www.goshorterhawks.com.