ATHENS, Ga. – The Savannah State University volleyball team (0-3) lost both matches on Saturday at the Benson Invitational.  The Lady Tigers first fell to host University of Georgia (2-0) 3-0 (12-25, 10-25, 14-25) and fell to UNC Asheville (1-2) 3-0 (11-25, 16-25, 18-25).
 
Junior setter Caitlynn Masoe led the Lady Tigers will 11 kills in both matches and added 10 assists, six digs and three blocks, while freshman outside hitter Dominic Ingraham added nine kills with a .381 hitting percentage and five blocks.
 
Graduate student outside hitter Justice Dilworth added seven kills and nine digs in two matches, while senior libero Alexis Washington added 17 digs and junior setter Alee Quint added 27 assists.
 
Georgia 3, Savannah State 0
Masoe led SSU with seven kills and added four assists, while Dilworth added five kills.  Washington led the team with 10 digs and Quint led the team with 12 assists and recorded five digs. 
 
Georgia scored seven of the first 10 points to capture a four-point lead 7-3 in the first set, but the Lady Tigers scored the next two points to close within two points, 7-5.  UGA scored the five of the next six points to increase its lead to six, 12-6 before back-to-back kills from senior middle blocker Gabrielle Nathaniel and Masoe to cut the lead to four, 12-8. 
 
The Lady Bulldogs scored the next six points to increase their lead to 10, 18-8, forcing two SSU timeouts.  After the second timeout, the Lady Tigers scored the next two points to cut the lead to eight, 18-10, and UGA outscored SSU 7-2 during the rest of the set to capture a 13-point set win and to take a 1-0 match lead.  Dilworth led the team with four kills, while Nathaniel, Masoe and junior middle blocker Autumn Lipscomb each added two kills.  As a team, SSU hit .269 during the opening set. 
 
Savannah State scored the first two points in the second stanza to capture a 2-0 lead, but Georgia scored the next two points to tie it at two.  With the score tied at six, UGA outscored SSU 19-4 during the rest of the set to take home a 15-point set win and to capture a 2-0 match lead heading into intermission. 
 
In the final frame, Georgia scored eight of the first 10 points to take an 8-2, but the Lady Tigers scored the next three points to close within three points, 8-5.  The Lady Bulldogs outscored SSU 17-9 during the rest of the set to capture an 11-point set win and the match win.  Dilworth led the team with three kills, while Washington led the team with five digs during the final set. 
 
The Bulldogs were led by Kendall Kazor and Anne Kate Karstens with seven kills each, Meghan Donovan with 26 assists and Elle McCord with 11 digs.    
 
UNC Asheville 3, Savannah State 0
Ingraham led the Lady Tigers with seven kills on nine attempts for a hitting percentage of .778, while Masoe added four kills, six assists, four digs and three blocks.  Quint led the team with 15 assists, while Nathaniel led the team with nine digs and Dilworth and Washington each added seven digs. 
 
UNC Asheville opened the match scoring 22 of the first 28 points to take an 18-point lead, 22-6, but the Lady Tigers scored the next three points to close the gap to 13, 22-9.  UNCA outscored SSU 3-2 during the rest of the set to capture a 14-point set win and to take a 1-0 match lead.
 
Savannah State scored four of the first six points to take a 4-2 lead in the second frame, but UNC Asheville scored eight of the next nine points to take a five-point, 10-5.  UNCA outscored SSU 15-11 during the rest of the set to take the nine-point set win and to take a 2-0 lead heading into intermission.  Ingraham led the Lady Tigers with four kills on six attempts for a hitting percentage of .667.
 
The Lady Tigers come out strong in the final stanza scoring seven of the first 10 points to take a four-point lead, 7-3, but UNC Asheville scored the next five points to take a point lead, 8-7.  UNCA outscored SSU 17-11 during the rest of the set to capture a seven-point set win and to win the match.  Ingraham connected on all three attempts during the set. 
 
The Bulldogs were led by Cara Gutherie with 15 kills, Kailey Hackett with 16 assists and added 10 digs for a double-double, while Madisen Zyburt led the team with 13 digs. 
 
The Lady Tigers stay in the state of Georgia for the 'Bash in the Boro in Statesboro on Thursday and Friday.  SSU faces The Citadel at 11 a.m. and Charleston Southern at 3 p.m. Thursday, followed by host Georgia Southern at 1 p.m. and Jacksonville State at 5 p.m. Friday. 
 
Short Box Score (Match)
The Automated ScoreBook
Savannah State vs Georgia (Aug 27, 2016 at Athens, Ga.)
 
Georgia def. Savannah State 25-12,25-10,25-14
 
  Savannah State (0-2) (Kills-aces-blocks) - MASOE,Caitlynn 7-2-0;
  DILWORTH,Justice 5-1-0; INGRAHAM,Dominic 2-0-2; NATHANIEL,Gabrielle
  2-1-1; LIPSCOMB,Autumn 2-0-0; GALLON,Ayree 1-0-0; OFODILE,Chinenye
  1-0-0; JONES,Jademone 0-0-1; Totals 20-4-2.0. (Assists) - QUINT, Alee
  12. (Dig leaders) - WASHINGTON,Alexis 10; QUINT, Alee 5
 
  Georgia (2-0) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Kazor, Kendall 7-0-0; Karstens,
  Anna Kate 7-0-1; Lobenstein, Maddie 6-3-0; Ostman, Caroline 5-0-0;
  Houser, Katie 5-2-1; Donovan, Meghan 5-0-1; Dachs, Amanda 4-0-0;
  McCray, Desiree 2-0-0; Bass, Majesti 0-0-1; Anderson, Cassidy 0-6-0;
  Totals 41-11-2.0. (Assists) - Donovan, Meghan 26. (Dig leaders) -
  McCord, Elle 11; Anderson, Cassidy 8
 
  Site: Athens, Ga. (Ramsey Center)
  Date: Aug 27, 2016   Attend: 1023   Time: 1:13   
  Referees: Denise Penzkofer, Gloria Cox
 
 
Short Box Score (Match)
The Automated ScoreBook
UNC Asheville vs Savannah State (Aug 27, 2016 at Athens, Ga.)
 
  UNC Asheville def. Savannah State 25-11,25-16,25-18
 
  UNC Asheville (1-2) (Kills-aces-blocks) - GUTHERIE, Cara 15-3-0;
  VAUGHN, Madison 9-0-1; ERICKSON, Shelby 7-0-1; HACKETT, Kailey 5-4-0;
  LOVEDAY, Julia 4-0-0; TATUM, Tearra 3-0-0; ZYBURT, Madisen 1-0-0;
  KENNEDY, Carter 1-2-0; SALISBURY, Sheridan 0-1-0; Totals 45-10-1.0.
  (Assists) - HACKETT, Kailey 16; KENNEDY, Carter 12. (Dig leaders) -
  ZYBURT, Madisen 13; HACKETT, Kailey 10
 
  Savannah State (0-3) (Kills-aces-blocks) - INGRAHAM,Dominic 7-0-3;
  MASOE,Caitlynn 4-0-3; OFODILE,Chinenye 3-0-2; LIPSCOMB,Autumn 2-0-0;
  NATHANIEL,Gabrielle 2-0-3; DILWORTH,Justice 2-0-0; JONES,Jademone
  1-0-0; COLBERT,Charlinda 1-0-0; WASHINGTON,Alexis 0-2-0; Totals
  22-2-6.0. (Assists) - QUINT, Alee 15. (Dig leaders) -
  NATHANIEL,Gabrielle 9; DILWORTH,Justice 7
 
  Site: Athens, Ga. (Ramsey Center)
  Date: Aug 27, 2016   Attend: 33   Time: 1:02   
  Referees: Gloria Cox, April Fricke
 
 
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