SAVANNAH, Ga.-The Savannah State University women's volleyball team battled through five competitive sets Friday evening but came up just short against Allen University, falling 3-2 (22-25, 25-23, 24-26, 25-17, 13-15) in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) action at Tiger Arena.
Playing in front of the home crowd on Military Appreciation Night, the Lady Tigers showed resilience throughout the match, overcoming a pair of one-set deficits to force a decisive fifth set.
With the loss, Savannah State moves to 4-14 overall and 3-8 in SIAC play, while Allen improves to 4-12 overall and 3-9 in conference action.
Nyalah Smith and Faith Woods paced the Savannah State offense with 12 kills apiece, while Anaya Yates and Kayden Lawrence contributed nine kills each. Hope White anchored the defense with a team-high 24 digs, followed closely by Kira Raby with 23 digs.
Amiyah Walker directed the Lady Tigers' offense with 26 assists, nine digs and three service aces, while Lela Curry added 19 assists.
Allen claimed the opening set 25-22 before Savannah State responded with a hard-fought 25-23 victory in the second frame to even the match.
The third set proved to be another tightly contested battle, with Allen edging the Lady Tigers 26-24 to regain control of the match.
Facing elimination, Savannah State delivered its strongest set of the evening in the fourth frame, using an improved offensive attack and defensive pressure to claim a convincing 25-17 victory and force a fifth set.
In the deciding frame, the Lady Tigers continued to battle before Allen secured the final two-point margin, 15-13, to escape Tiger Arena with the conference victory.
Savannah State finished the evening with 57 kills, 54 assists, 98 digs, eight service aces and 11 total team blocks. The Lady Tigers also held advantages over Allen in kills (57-52), digs (98-93) and blocks (11-9).
For Allen, Tahmiah Lawson led the Yellow Jackets with 16 kills, while Saige Bradley added 15 kills and seven blocks.
Savannah State will remain at home for another SIAC East Division matchup on Tuesday, October 13, when the Lady Tigers host Albany State University at 6 p.m. for Community and Youth Night. The match is scheduled for Willcox-Wiley Gymnasium.
STAY CONNECTED
For complete coverage of Savannah State University Athletics, follow the Tigers on social media @SavStateTigers on Facebook, Instagram, and X (Formerly Known As Twitter), or visit the official online home of SSU Athletics at http://ssuathletics.com.
Â
