SAVANNAH, Ga.- When it looked as if Middle Georgia State was in control of the match, the Savannah State volleyball team flipped the script as they rallied to win three consecutive sets and beat the Knights 3-2 in Tiger Arena on September 26, 2023.
 
Middle Georgia State won the first two sets 21-25 and 21-25 and were one set from claiming victory. That's when SSU came to life.
 
The third set featured six ties and six lead changes.
 
Down 13-14, SSU strung together four straight points to go ahead by three, thanks to a kill by Mina Ezikpe and a ace by Tiana Curry. Savannah State pushed their lead to four but the Knights closed their gap to 20-19 before the Lady Tigers finished the set with a 5-2 surge which was keyed by an ace by Jessee Grubesic and a kill by Allena Norton.
 
Savannah State won the fourth set 25-17. Back-to-back kills by Norton and a block by Ezikpe helped the Lady Tigers break a 14-14 tie as they pulled ahead by three. SSU stretched their lead to seven with another run and a block by Ezikpe secured a 24-16 lead. A kill by Destinee  Langston gave SSU the win which tied the match at 2-2.
 
In the fifth and final set, SSU came out with fire in their eyes as they jumped out to a 9-1 lead. Langston had three kills during the stretch while Norton had a kill, Ezikpe had a block and Aaliyah Mitchell had a pair of aces.
 
Middle Georgia battled back to get as close as five but another run by SSU gave the Lady Tigers a 14-5 lead with the help of three kills by Langston. The Knights reeled off three consecutive points before a kill by Langston ended the game, giving Savannah State a 15-8 win in the set and a 3-2 win for the match.
 
Norton had a big night for the Lady Tigers with a .455 hitting percentage with three errors in 33 attacks to go along with her 18 kills and five blocks. Langston led all players with 24 kills while Mitchell had three aces and Grubesic had 48 assists. Kloe Ludy (27), Mitchell (20) and Grubesic (15) combined for 62 digs.
 
As a team, Savannah State finished the night with 81 points, 64 kills, seven aces, ten blocks, 63 assists and 95 digs.
 
Middle Georgia State (2-4) was led by Ellison Johnson (18 kills), Yanelis Rodriguez (3 blocks), Beau Houston (46 assists) and Paige Collier (21 digs). Courtney Williamson, Rodriguez and Johnson had two aces apiece.
 
With the non-conference win, Savannah State improves to 9-4 overall. The Lady Tigers will head to Mobile, Alabama to participate in their second SIAC Crossover which will be held at Spring Hill on Sept. 30.