SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Savannah State University women's volleyball team captured the opening set but could not maintain its momentum as the Lady Tigers fell to Edward Waters University, 3-1 (25-22, 19-25, 19-25, 18-25), Tuesday evening in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) action inside Tiger Arena.
With the setback, Savannah State dropped to 4-17 overall and 3-11 in conference play, while Edward Waters improved to 11-10 overall and 10-5 in the SIAC.
The Lady Tigers were led offensively by Nyalah Smith, who finished with a team-high 12 kills, while Faith Woods added 11 kills and 17 digs. Harmony Flagg contributed eight kills, and Jasbrielle Veal registered six kills, five block assists and two service aces.
Savannah State overcame an early deficit in the opening set, using an eight-point scoring run to turn a 16-11 disadvantage into a 19-16 lead. The Lady Tigers later found themselves trailing 22-21 before closing the frame with four consecutive points. A kill by Flagg tied the score at 22, followed by a kill from Iyonna Pike, a service ace from Veal and an Edward Waters attack error to secure the 25-22 victory.
Edward Waters responded in the second set, jumping out to an early 5-0 advantage. Savannah State battled back, cutting the deficit to 16-15 behind contributions from Woods, Amiyah Walker and Lela Curry. However, Edward Waters maintained its lead down the stretch to even the match with a 25-19 victory.
The third set featured several early lead changes before Edward Waters used a four-point run to establish a 15-11 advantage. Savannah State continued to battle, trimming the deficit to 19-18 following consecutive kills from Smith and a service ace from Veal. Edward Waters answered by scoring six of the final seven points to claim another 25-19 decision and take a 2-1 match lead.
In the fourth set, Edward Waters established an early 9-3 advantage. Savannah State attempted to rally behind the offensive efforts of Smith, Flagg and Veal, but the visiting Tigers maintained control and closed out the match with a 25-18 victory.
Defensively, Savannah State received strong performances from Walker and Hope White, who collected 26 digs apiece. Walker also dished out a team-high 28 assists, while Curry contributed 10 assists and 12 digs.
The Lady Tigers finished the evening with 45 kills, 42 assists, 97 digs, five service aces and eight total team blocks.
Edward Waters was paced by Jewel Helmuth and Norah Laurore, who recorded 12 kills apiece. Laurore also contributed seven block assists and two solo blocks, while Naraiya Thompson directed the offense with 43 assists and three service aces.
Savannah State returns to action on Wednesday, October 21, when the Lady Tigers host Clark Atlanta University for Cancer Awareness Night. First serve is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. inside Tiger Arena.
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