The 49ers were unable to pull out a win on the road Friday night, losing 3-1 to Southern Mississippi.

In the first set, Charlotte came back from being down 18-14 after a strong offensive streak aided by kills from Sarah Adams, Claire Kruez and Sarah Gaster. Fueled by the streak, the 49ers were able to hold on and take the first set 25-23.

Charlotte started set two off intensely and had an 18-14 lead until a few errors and kills allowed Southern Mississippi to make a comeback. The score was then tied 19-19, still leaving a chance for either team to claim the set, but the 49ers were unable to finish and lost 25-20 after more errors and dominant offensive play by Southern Mississippi.

The third set proved to be even more challenging for Charlotte. The Golden Eagles quickly went up 13-5, and then were able to extend their lead to as much as 12 points after a few aces and many more kills. The 49ers could not fight back and lost 25-13 in a quick set.

After a very disappointing set, Charlotte looked to move forward and push the match to a decisive fifth set. They started out strong and were able to keep the score close until the very end, falling 25-21.

It was a slow night for Charlotte, as Claire Kruez who recorded 13, was the only one to record double digit kills.

Head coach Gokhan Yilmaz commented on his team’s performance, “We came from behind in set one and did a good job in the beginning of set two up 18-14, and then we got stuck in one of their rotations. Southern Miss played very well as we had a hard time stopping their outsides. For us, it’s a matter of understanding the level of play in Conference USA. We just now need to get ready to play Rice on Sunday.”

The 49ers are now 12-8 and will continue their Conference USA play on Sunday at Rice.