Box Score ORANGEBURG, S.C. – Down the final stretch of the 2014 season, the Savannah State volleyball squad dropped a close Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) battle with regional rival South Carolina State on Sunday.
The Lady Tigers drop to 4-25 on the season and 0-8 in MEAC play.
On Sunday, the Lady Tigers were led by
Justice Dilworth and
Gabrielle Nathaniel, each with six kills.
Alexis Washington led the team on defense with 11 digs.
Autumn Session recorded five blocks in the close loss. The team registered nine service aces on the night.
Lynae Bryant led the charge with three.
S.C. State took a 4-1 lead to open the first set on Sunday, but SSU bounced back tying the game at 5 all on a service ace from
Caitlynn Masoe. Later, a service ace from Bryant lifted the Lady Tigers to an 11-10 lead and opened a 4-1 run.
SSU went up 16-12 on a kill from Dilworth and maintained the lead as the Lady Bulldogs begin to fight their way back into the set. A costly SSU error knotted the score up at 19 all.
S.C. State then took a 22-20 lead on a kill from Kirby Anderson. Out of an SSU timeout, the Lady Tigers trailed 21-23, but cut it to one point on a kill from Masoe. The kill was followed by back-to-back SSU errors that gave the home team a 25-22 victory in the game and a 1-0 match lead.
S.C. State broke a 5 all tie early in the second set with a 3-0 run, but SSU bounced backed quickly with a 4-0 run for a 9-8 lead that was capped with a service ace from Dilworth.
With the game tied at 11, Bryant opened a 5-0 spurt with five service points, lifting SSU to a 16-11 lead. S.C. State responded with their own run to tie the set up at 17.
Later, the set was again tied, this time at 20 all. Teams traded point for point, until S.C. State broke free for a 23-22 lead on a kill from Erica Pritchett. Out of a timeout, Pritchett recorded another kill and Kiana Stone registered a kill to seal up a 25-22 second set victory for the Lady Bulldogs.
SSU struggled in the third set as S.C. State came out strong with a 9-2 run. The Lady Tigers continued to falter midway through as the Lady Bulldogs jumped out to a 14-7 lead.
Late in the set, a kill from Dilworth and three straight service points, including a service ace from Washington cut the Lady Bulldogs lead to 24-19. A kill from Pritchett out of a timeout, sealed up the 25-19 set win and 3-0 match victory for S.C. State.
Pritchett led the Lady Bulldogs with 15 kills. Anderson registered 11 kills in the win and Tyler Ockleberry led on defense with 14 digs.
The Lady Tigers finish out the season with two road MEAC games. They face North Carolina A&T State on Nov. 7, and North Carolina Central on Nov. 9 to close out the regular season.
