Women's Volleyball 9/1/2014 10:30:00 AM

Volleyball Opens Season With Two Wins

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

SAVANNAH, Ga. – For the first time since 2008 the Savannah State volleyball team opened a new season with back-to-back wins.

The Lady Tigers hosted a tri-match with Brewton-Parker and Fort Valley State to open the 2014 season, beating both of the visitors in 3-set matches.

SSU is on a three game winning streak dating back to the last game of the 2013 season, in which they earned the program's first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) win (3-0) over North Carolina Central.

In the opening match against Brewton-Parker, teams tied the first set up five times before, the Lady Barons took a 15-13 lead on two SSU errors.

The Lady Tigers bounced back moments later with a 5-1 run behind kills from newcomer's Zariya Thomas and Lynae Bryant, and returner Justice Dilworth. Brewton-Parker struggled to recover from the run as SSU sealed up a 1-0 lead with a 25-22 set win.

SSU carried the momentum into the second set, as they took a 15-11 lead midway through. After a Brewton-Parker timeout, SSU continued to command the set with four straight service points from Gabrielle Nathaniel for a 20-14 lead. Three kills from Dilworth helped seal up a 25-16 set win and a 2-0 lead.

In the final set, the Lady Tigers were trailing 9-11 midway through, but Dilworth served up three straight service points to tie the game up. Later, SSU newcomer Olivia Wasdin served up six straight service points lifting the Lady Tigers to a 17-13 lead.

Behind kills from Dilworth, Nathaniel, Bryant, and Elexius Harris, the Lady Tigers won the match with a 25-17 set win.

Dilworth led the Lady Tigers with 13 kills, a .450 hitting percentage, and nine digs. Thomas followed with seven kills and four digs. Four Brewton-Parker players had three kills, and Aireana Fikes led in digs with seven.

In the second match of the day, the Lady Tigers dominated Fort Valley State in the opening set, pushing out to a 12-7 lead early. However, the visitors from Fort Valley, Georgia opened a 6-2 run late, cutting into the Lady Tigers lead, 18-22.

Two SSU errors moved Fort Valley within four points, 20-24, but a service error from the visitors sealed up the 25-20 set win for the Lady Tigers.

Midway through the second set, the Lady Tigers came out of a Fort Valley timeout and went on a 7-2 run for a 17-9 lead, capped by an ace from Bryant. Fort Valley would fail to recover from the offensive push, as SSU went up 2-0 in the match with a 25-18 set win.

It was all SSU in the third and final set, as they opened with a 10-2 run, and never looked back on their way to earning the day's second match win with a 25-12 set victory.

Dilworth again led the Lady Tigers with 11 kills, and six digs. Bryant also recorded six digs and led in assists with 27. Nathaniel and Christian Lyle each had seven kills in the win. Briana Shepard led Fort Valley with five kills.

The Lady Tigers travel to Cedar City, Utah for the Southern Utah University Tournament September 5th and 6^th. They are scheduled to play Southern Utah, Maryland Eastern Shore, and the University of California Riverside.

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