SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Savannah State University volleyball team (1-20, 1-4 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) won its first match of the season with a 3-1 (25-15, 20-25, 25-22, 25-15) win over South Carolina State University (0-20, 0-5 MEAC) Monday in Willcox-Wiley Gymnasium.

Senior setter Caitlynn Masoe led the team with a career-high 17 kills and recorded a .357 hitting percentage, seven assists, two service aces and three digs as freshman middle blocker Dominique Ingram added 15 kills and led the team with a .423 hitting percentage and with two solo blocks.
 
Junior setter Alee Quint led the team with a season-high 42 assists and added two service aces and eight digs, while senior libero Alexis Washington led the team with 15 digs.  Senior middle hitter Gabrielle Nathaniel contributed nine kills, two service aces, four digs and three blocks, while graduate student Justice Dilworth added eight kills with a .316 hitting percentage and five digs.
 
The Lady Tigers scored six of the first seven points in the first set to capture a 6-1 lead, but the Lady Bulldogs scored three of the next four points to close within three points, 7-4.  Savannah State scored 11 of the next 14 points to increase its lead to 11, 18-7, but SCSU scored the next four points to close within seven points, 18-11. 
 
SSU scored six of the next seven points for a 12-point lead, 24-12.  South Carolina State scored the next three points to close within nine, 24-15, but a Masoe kill gave the Lady Tigers the 10-point set win and to take a 1-0 match lead.  Nathaniel and Ingram led the team with five kills each in the opening set, while Nathaniel recorded a .500 hitting percentage and Ingram recorded a .833 hitting percentage.
 
South Carolina State scored three of the first four points in the second stanza to take a 3-1 lead, but Savannah State tied the match at four scoring three of the next four points.  With the score tied at nine, the Lady Tigers scored five of the next eight points to take a two-point lead, 14-12, but the Lady Bulldogs scored the next two points to tie the match at 14, forcing a Savannah State timeout.  After the timeout, the Lady Tigers scored the next two points to take a two-point lead, 16-14, but SCSU outscored SSU 11-4 during the rest of the set to take the five-point set win and to tie the match at one.  Ingram led the team with four kills during the set, while Masoe added three kills and three assists.
 
Savannah State scored six of the first seven points in the third frame to take a 6-1 lead, but SCSU scored the next two points to pull within three points, 6-3.  The Lady Tigers scored eight of the next 11 points to increase their lead to six, 14-6, but the Lady Bulldogs scored the next five points to pull within three points, 14-11. 
 
SSU scored nine of the next 11 points to increase its lead to six, 19-13.  SCSU outscored SSU 10-7 to tie the match at 21, but the Lady Tigers scored four of the final five points to capture the three-point set win and to take a 2-1 match lead.  Ingram once again led the team in the set with four kills.
 
In the final set, South Carolina State scored the three of the first four points for a 3-1 lead, but the Lady Tigers scored the next five points to take a three-point lead, 6-3.  SSU expanded its lead to four, 11-7, but scoring five of the next nine points, but the Lady Bulldogs scored the next four points to tie the set at 11. 
 
Savannah State scored the next two points to take a 13-11 lead.  But after an SCSU kill to pull within a point, 13-12, the Lady Tigers scored the next six points to take a seven-point lead, 19-12.  SSU outscored SCSU 6-3 during the rest of the set to capture the 10-point set win and to win the match.  Masoe led the team with nine kills, including four consecutive kills. 
 
The Lady Tigers had to wait 10 days to play this match due to Hurricane Matthew hitting the Savannah area on Oct. 7.  The win snapped a 54-match losing streak with the last win against Brewton-Parker, 3-1, on Oct. 30, 2014 in Mount Vernon, Ga.  The last home win was against Tougaloo College (Miss.), 3-0, on Sept. 19, 2014.  The win also snapped a 24-match conference losing streak with the last win, a 3-1 decision, against North Carolina Central University on Nov. 10, 2013, which is also the last win against a Division I opponent. 
 
The Lady Bulldogs were led by Brianna Dafney with 21 kills, Fabiola Plaza with 28 assists and Tyler Ockleberry with 10 digs.
 
The Lady Tigers continue their homestand with Bethune-Cookman University at 6 p.m. Friday for Pink Day and Florida A&M University at 1 p.m. Sunday for Senior Day.
 
Short Box Score (Match)
The Automated ScoreBook
South Carolina State vs Savannah State (Oct 17, 2016 at Savannah, Ga.)
 
 Savannah State def. South Carolina State 25-15,20-25,25-22,25-15
 
  South Carolina State (0-20, 0-5 MEAC) (Kills-aces-blocks) -
  DAFNEY,Brianna 21-0-1; FINNIE,Ashante 7-1-2; JACOBS,Jaime 2-0-0;
  PLAZA,Fabiola 1-0-1; ROOKS,KaShunyna 1-4-1; PETERSON,Dashinique 1-0-0;
  OCKLEBERRY,Tyler 0-1-0; Totals 33-6-3.0. (Assists) - PLAZA,Fabiola 28.
  (Dig leaders) - OCKLEBERRY,Tyler 10; DAFNEY,Brianna 8; FINNIE,Ashante
  8
 
  Savannah State (1-20, 1-4 MEAC) (Kills-aces-blocks) - MASOE,Caitlynn
  17-2-0; INGRAM,DOMINIQUE 15-0-2; NATHANIEL,Gabrielle 9-2-3;
  DILWORTH,Justice 8-0-0; COLBERT,Charlinda 7-0-4; JONES,Jademone 1-0-1;
  GALLON,Ayree 0-1-0; MONROE,Alaina 0-1-0; QUINT, Alee 0-2-0;
  WASHINGTON,Alexis 0-1-0; Totals 57-9-6.0. (Assists) - QUINT, Alee 42.
  (Dig leaders) - WASHINGTON,Alexis 15; QUINT, Alee 8
 
  Site: Savannah, Ga. (Willcox-Wiley Gym)
  Date: Oct 17, 2016   Attend: 102   Time: 1:44   
  Referees:
 
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