JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The Citadel volleyball team fell in straight sets 25-18, 25-12 and 25-16 against ETSU on Saturday afternoon.

Coming off a five-set thriller on Friday night against Chattanooga, the Bulldogs (8-18, 1-9 SoCon) were unable to muster much offense against the first place Buccaneers. The Bulldogs were held to a .091 hitting percentage while ETSU hit .359 for the match.

Outside hitter Moriah Smith led the team with nine kills and nine digs. Setter Priscilla Irizarry had a team-high 24 assists.

The Bulldogs opened the match slowly, calling a quick timeout after falling behind 10-5. They narrowed ETSU's lead to one after taking five of the next six points. Later in the first set with The Citadel trailing 21-18, the Buccaneers took the final four points to win the set 25-18.

In set two, the Bulldogs opened up a 2-1 lead, but the Buccaneers scored five straight points to take a 6-2 lead and never looked back. ETSU took leads of 12-4 and 17-6 before closing out the second set 25-12.

The Bulldogs battled with ETSU in the third set, which featured eight tie scores after the first 14 points for each team. The Buccaneers claimed the next four points to grab an 18-14 lead and then closed the match out with seven of the final nine points.

The Citadel will return home after their longest road trip of the season, hosting Samford on Friday at 6 p.m. The Bulldogs then host Chattanooga on Saturday at 6 p.m. Live stats and video will be available for both matches.

For more information on The Citadel volleyball follow @CitadelVB or visit CitadelSports.com.