SAVANNAH, Ga. – Junior middle blocker Gabrielle Nathaniel led Savannah State University volleyball team with six kills, with 10 digs and with four total blocks as Mercer University (8-11) defeated the Lady Tigers (0-24) 3-0 (25-14, 25-7, 25-23) on Wednesday in Willcox-Wiley Gymnasium.
 
Junior setter Caitlynn Masoe led the team with 17 assists and added four digs and three total blocks, while freshman outside hitter Makayla Tam recorded four kills and junior libero Alexis Washington added nine digs.
 
Early in the first set was close as neither team had a lead of more than one point.  With the scored tied at six, SSU scored the next three points to capture a 9-6 lead, but the Lady Bears scored the next three points to tie the set at nine.  Mercer outscored SSU 16-5 during the rest of the set to win the set and to take an early 1-0 lead.  Nathaniel led the team with four kills and with a .500 hitting percentage, while Masoe led the team with six assists and Tam, Masoe and Washington each added three digs.
 
Mercer scored the first four points of the second frame for a 4-0 lead, but the Lady Tigers scored the next two points to close within two, 4-2.  MU outscored SSU 21-5 during the rest of the set to win the set and to take a 2-0 lead heading into intermission.  Junior outside hitter Jademone Jones led the team with two kills, while Masoe added four assists and Nathaniel and freshman setter Briana Littlejohn added three digs each. 
 
The Lady Bears scored the first four points of the final stanza for a 4-0 lead, but the Lady Tigers scored three of the next four points to pull within two points, 5-3.  Mercer scored 11 of the next 15 points for a 16-7 lead, but the Lady Tigers scored the next four of the next five points to pull within six, 17-11.  Each team scored eight points as Mercer led 24-19.  With the Lady Tigers facing match point, SSU scored the next four points to pull within one, 24-23, before a Lady Bear kill ended the set to give Mercer the set win and the match win.  Nathaniel, Tam, freshman outside hitter Chinenye Ofodile and freshman outside hitter Ayree Gallon each added two kills, while Masoe added seven assists and Washington and Nathaniel each added five digs.   
 
The Lady Bears were led by Monica Johnson and Morgan MacGilvary with eight kills each, Claire Waliczek with 30 assists and Tori Penrod with 13 digs.
 
The Lady Tigers travels to Charleston, S.C., on Tuesday to face The Citadel at 6 p.m. before returning home to face Alabama State on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. in Willcox-Wiley Gym.
 
Short Box Score (Match)
Mercer vs Savannah State (Oct 14, 2015 at Savannah, Ga.)
 
Mercer def. Savannah State 25-14,25-7,25-23
 
  Mercer (8-11) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Monica Johnson 8-0-1; Morgan
  MacGilvary 8-2-1; Heather Swann 7-2-1; Emily Krogman 4-1-0; Paige
  Alsten 3-0-2; Gabbi Meyering 1-0-1; Maria Avramova 1-0-0; Tori Penrod
  1-2-0; Bailey Noon 0-1-0; Totals 33-8-4.0. (Assists) - Claire Waliczek
  30. (Dig leaders) - Tori Penrod 13; Morgan MacGilvary 6
 
  Savannah State (0-24) (Kills-aces-blocks) - NATHANIEL,Gabrielle 6-0-4;
  TAM,Makayla 4-1-0; OFODILE,Chinenye 3-1-0; JONES,Jademone 3-0-1;
  GALLON,Ayree 2-0-0; MASOE,Caitlynn 1-0-3; LITTLEJOHN,Briana 1-0-0;
  WASHINGTON,Alexis 0-1-0; Totals 20-3-4.5. (Assists) - MASOE,Caitlynn
  17. (Dig leaders) - NATHANIEL,Gabrielle 10; WASHINGTON,Alexis 9
 
  Site: Savannah, Ga. (Willcox-Wiley Gym)
  Date: Oct 14, 2015   Attend: 124   Time: 1:14   
  Referees: Glenn Goudy, Holly Meckley
 
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