SAVANNAH, Ga. – Freshman outside hitter Makayla Tam records her first double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs as Savannah State University falls to The Citadel 3-0 (26-24, 25-16, 25-13) Tuesday in Willcox-Wiley Gym.
 
Tam also added two block assists and had a .308 hitting percentage, while junior setter Caitlynn Masoe led the team with 19 assists and added four kills and eight digs.  Junior libero Alexis Washington led the team with a season-high 15 digs.  Junior middle blocker Gabrielle Nathaniel and freshman outside hitter Ayree Gallon each recorded five kills.
 
The Lady Tigers (0-16) scored five of the first six points to capture a 5-1 lead in the first set, but The Citadel (6-10) came back by scoring five of the next six points to tie the match at six.  Each team scored a point to keep the match tied at seven, but The Citadel scored seven of the next nine points to take a 14-9 lead.  The Lady Tigers scored the next two points to cut the lead to 14-11, but the Bulldogs scored the next three points for a 16-11 lead forcing a timeout by Savannah State. 
 
After the timeout, The Lady Tigers scored the next five points to tie the match at 16.  With the match tied at 19, the Bulldogs scored the next two points for a 21-19 lead forcing another SSU timeout.  After the timeout, the Lady Tigers scored the next two points to tie the match at 21.  The Lady Tigers had match point at 24-23, but the Bulldogs scored the next three points to win the set and take an early 1-0 lead.  Tam led the Lady Tigers with four kills and added five digs and had a .364 hitting percentage, while Masoe led the team with eight assists and Washington added five digs.
 
The Bulldogs scored seven of the first eight points to take a 7-1 lead in the second set, but the Lady Tigers battled back scoring six of the next eight points to close the gap to two, 9-7.  The Citadel outscored SSU 11-4 for a 20-11 lead, but SSU scored the next three points to close the gap to six, 20-14.  The Bulldogs outscored SSU 5-2 during the rest of the set for 2-0 lead heading into intermission.  Nathaniel and Tam led the Lady Tigers with three kills each, while Masoe added six assists, and Washington added five digs.     
 
Early in the final set was very close as neither team had more than a two-point lead.  With the score tied at seven, the Bulldogs outscored SSU 18-5 during the rest of the set to win the set and the match.  Tam and Gallon led the team with three kills each, while Masoe added five assists and Washington added five digs.  Tam also added four digs and had a .429 hitting percentage.
 
The Citadel was led by Megan Sowell with 16 kills and Rachel Keefer with 34 assists and with 13 digs.
 
The Lady Tigers concludes its four-match homestand this weekend with the start of conference play with Bethune-Cookman at 6 p.m. on Friday and Florida A&M at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Willcox-Wiley Gym.
 
Short Box Score (Match)
The Citadel vs Savannah State (Sep 22, 2015 at Savannah, Ga.)
 
The Citadel def. Savannah State 26-24,25-16,25-13
 
  The Citadel (6-10) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Megan Sowell 16-2-2; Carla
  Bruce 6-0-3; Moriah Smith 6-0-1; Bailey Kernodle 5-1-1; Sumerlyn
  Carruthers 4-0-5; Zuri Fenderson 3-0-1; Rachel Keefer 2-0-0; Maureen
  Wilkinson 0-0-2; Totals 42-3-8.0. (Assists) - Rachel Keefer 34. (Dig
  leaders) - Rachel Keefer 13; Samantha Espy 12; Moriah Smith 8
 
  Savannah State (0-17) (Kills-aces-blocks) - TAM,Makayla 10-0-2;
  NATHANIEL,Gabrielle 5-1-1; GALLON,Ayree 5-1-0; MASOE,Caitlynn 4-0-1;
  LITTLEJOHN,Briana 2-0-0; COLBERT,Charlinda 2-0-1; OFODILE,Chinenye
  1-1-3; WASHINGTON,Alexis 0-1-0; Totals 29-4-5.0. (Assists) -
  MASOE,Caitlynn 19. (Dig leaders) - WASHINGTON,Alexis 15; TAM,Makayla
  11; MASOE,Caitlynn 8
 
  Site: Savannah, Ga. (Willcox-Wiley Gym)
  Date: Sep 22, 2015   Attend: 117   Time: 1:18   
  Referees:
 
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