CHARLESTON, S.C. – Junior setter Caitlynn Masoe recorded her first double-double of the season with 30 assists and 12 digs as Savannah State University volleyball team (0-25) fell to The Citadel (7-17) 3-1 (30-28, 11-25, 13-25, 18-25) on Tuesday at McAlister Fieldhouse.
 
The Long Beach, Calif., native also recorded three kills and had a .375 hitting percentage, while freshman outside hitters Makayla Tam and Chinenye Ofolide led the team with 13 kills each.  Tam added five digs and two assists, while Ofodile added a service ace and a block assist.
 
Junior setter Alexis Washington led the team with 14 digs and added a service ace and two assists, while junior middle blocker Gabrielle Nathaniel added 10 digs and five kills.  Senior middle blocker Christian Lyle added five blocks, which ranked tied for third most in school history for a four-set match. 
 
The Citadel scored six of the first seven points of the first set for a 6-1 lead, but the Lady Tigers battled back scoring eight of the next nine points, including seven points in a row, to take a two-point lead, 9-7. Savannah State scored seven of the next 11 points to extend its lead to 16-11.  The Bulldogs outscored SSU 11-6 to tie the set at 22, but a kill from Ofodile gave SSU a 23-22 lead.  After a point from each team, to give the Lady Tigers set point at 24-23, a service error tied the set at 24 and the Bulldogs scored the next point to take a 25-24 lead, but SSU scored the next two points for a 26-25 lead. 
 
With the Bulldogs facing set point again, a Bulldog kill tied the set at 26 and with each team scoring two points to keep the set tied at 28, the Lady Tigers scored the final two points to win the set and to take a 1-0 lead.  Tam led the team during the first set with six kills and had a .357 hitting percentage, while Masoe led the team with 13 assists and with five digs.  The Lady Tigers recorded a higher hitting percentage (.237-.195), more digs (15-14) and more total blocks (4.0-3.0) over The Citadel.
 
With the second frame tied at four, The Citadel scored the next three points to take a 7-4 lead and outscored SSU 18-7 during the rest of the set to tie the match at one heading into intermission.  Tam led the team with three kills, while Masoe added three assists.
 
The Bulldogs scored the first three points of the third stanza for a 3-0 lead, but the Lady Tigers scored the next two points to pull within a point, 3-2.  The Bulldogs increased its lead to five, 14-9, but the Lady Tigers scored the next three points to pull within two, 14-12.  The Citadel outscored SSU 8-1 to take a 22-13 lead, but the Lady Tigers scored the next four points to pull within five, 22-17.  The Bulldogs scored three of the final four points to win the set and to take a 2-1 lead.  Ofodile led the team with four kills, while Masoe added eight assists and freshman setter Briana Littlejohn added five digs.
 
With the Lady Tigers holding a point lead at 8-7, SSU scored two more points to take a three-point lead, 10-7.  But the Bulldogs scored the next four points to take an 11-10 lead before an attack error by The Citadel even the set at 11.  The Citadel outscored SSU 14-7 during the rest of the set to win the set and the match.  Ofodile led the team with four kills, while Masoe added six assists and Washington added five digs.
 
The Bulldogs were led by Moriah Smith with 18 kills, Rachel Keefer with 51 assists and Samantha Espy with 20 digs. Bailey Kernodle recorded a double-double with 10 kills and 13 digs.
 
The Lady Tigers return home to face its final non-conference opponent this season against Alabama State for "Dig Pink" on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Willcox-Wiley Gym before traveling to Florida to face Bethune-Cookman on Friday at 7 p.m. in Daytona Beach and Florida A&M on Sunday at 3 p.m. in Tallahassee.
 
Short Box Score (Match)
Savannah State vs The Citadel (Oct 20, 2015 at Charleston, S.C.)
 
The Citadel def. Savannah State 28-30,25-11,25-18,25-18
 
  Savannah State (0-25) (Kills-aces-blocks) - OFODILE,Chinenye 13-1-1;
  TAM,Makayla 13-0-0; NATHANIEL,Gabrielle 5-0-1; JONES,Jademone 3-0-2;
  MASOE,Caitlynn 3-0-0; LYLE,Christian 2-0-5; HARRIS,Elexius 1-0-0;
  WASHINGTON,Alexis 0-1-0; Totals 40-2-6.0. (Assists) - MASOE,Caitlynn
  30. (Dig leaders) - WASHINGTON,Alexis 14; MASOE,Caitlynn 12;
  NATHANIEL,Gabrielle 10; LITTLEJOHN,Briana 8
 
  The Citadel (7-17) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Moriah Smith 18-1-4; Maureen
  Wilkinson 12-0-2; Bailey Kernodle 10-0-0; Dominique Williams 7-0-6;
  Zuri Fenderson 6-0-2; Rachel Keefer 1-0-0; Abigail Murn 1-0-0; Carla
  Bruce 1-1-0; Sumerlyn Carruthers 0-1-2; Gracie Barnes 0-1-0; Totals
  56-4-12.0. (Assists) - Rachel Keefer 51. (Dig leaders) - Samantha Espy
  20; Bailey Kernodle 13; Moriah Smith 8
 
  Site: Charleston, S.C. (McAlister Fieldhouse)
  Date: Oct 20, 2015   Attend: 279   Time: 1:40   
  Referees:
 
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