Women's Volleyball 10/4/2014 3:33:00 PM

Volleyball Fights To The End Against S.C. State

Box Score
SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah State and South Carolina State were both looking for their first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) win on Friday night in Willcox-Wiley.

The Lady Bulldogs squeezed by SSU with a 3-1 win, after four hard fought sets. S.C. State earned their first win of the season improving to 1-16 and 1-2 in conference, while SSU falls to 3-15 and 0-3 in the MEAC.

S.C. State broke a tie game in the first set with a 5-0 run for a 9-4 lead. Later, kills from Kirby Anderson and Marissa Lawrence lifted the visitors to a 17-11 lead, forcing the Lady Tigers to take a timeout.

Down the stretch, the Lady Bulldogs went up 22-18, to close in on the win, but SSU held on with kills from Caitlynn Masoe and Gabrielle Nathaniel to cut their lead to 22-21.

S.C. State's Erica Pritchett recorded back-to-back kills to put the Lady Bulldogs up 24-21. The visitors sealed up a 1-0 lead behind an SSU error with a 25-22 set win.

It was all South Carolina State in the second set, as they cruised to a 25-13 set win and a 2-0 lead into the third game.

S.C. State was looking for the easy 3-0 match win in the third set, but SSU kept the pace as teams traded point for point through the entire set.

With the set all tied up at 15, the Lady Tigers pushed out to an 18-16 lead behind a service ace from Alexis Washington and two S.C. State errors.
On kills from Christian Lyle and Masoe, and two Lady Bulldog errors, the Lady Tigers went up 23-20, forcing the visitors to take a timeout.

Two kills out of the timeout cut SSU's lead to 23-22, but an error from the Lady Bulldogs put SSU back up 24-22. Masoe slammed down a kill on a set from Olivia Wasdin to give SSU the 25-22 set win.

Into the fourth set, SSU took a 12-8 lead on a kill from Zariya Thomas, but the Lady Bulldogs were back in it after two SSU errors that cut the lead to 12-11.

An SSU error, following a service ace from Anderson, tied the game up at 15. S.C. State broke the stalemate moments later on three service points from Tyler Ockleberry that lifted the visitors to a 23-19 lead.

Anderson slammed down a kill and the Lady Tigers committed one final error as S.C. State garnered the 3-1 match win on a 25-20 set victory.
Nathaniel led the Lady Tigers with a season-high 10 kills. Elexius Harris led on defense with 12 digs followed by Masoe with 10 digs. Harris also recorded seven kills.

Lawrence led the Lady Bulldogs with 16 kills, followed by Anderson with 11 kills. Ockleberry led in digs with 15.

SSU returns to action on Sunday against Fort Valley State in Fort Valley, Ga. After a road match at the Citadel in Charleston, S.C., SSU returns home to play North Carolina Central on October 10 in Wilcox-Wiley Gym.

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Players Mentioned

#1 Elexius Harris: OH/MH; 5' 9"; Freshman

#2 Zariya Thomas: OH/RS; 5' 11"; Freshman

#3 Gabrielle Nathaniel: MH; 5' 9"; Sophomore

#4 Alexis Washington: L; 5' 4"; Sophomore

#7 Caitlynn Masoe: S; 5' 9"; Sophomore

#6 Olivia Wasdin: DS/L; 5' 8"; Graduate Student

#15 Christian Lyle: MB; 5' 11"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#1 Elexius Harris
: 5' 9"; Freshman
: OH/MH

#2 Zariya Thomas
: 5' 11"; Freshman
: OH/RS

#3 Gabrielle Nathaniel
: 5' 9"; Sophomore
: MH

#4 Alexis Washington
: 5' 4"; Sophomore
: L

#7 Caitlynn Masoe
: 5' 9"; Sophomore
: S

#6 Olivia Wasdin
: 5' 8"; Graduate Student
: DS/L

#15 Christian Lyle
: 5' 11"; Junior
: MB