SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Savannah State volleyball team opened home play Wednesday evening with a thrilling nonconference match against The Citadel. The Lady Tigers fell 3-0 to the Bulldogs.

Trailing in the match 2-0, SSU battled the Bulldogs to the wire in the final set. The Lady Tigers and the Bulldogs knotted up the score five times in the opening minutes, before SSU took a 15-12 lead behind a 4-1 run capped by a kill from Asiha Williams.

Later, the Bulldogs battled back to knot the score up at 20. Out of a timeout SSU took a one point lead on a Bulldog error.

The match was knotted up again on an error from the Lady Tigers. Sophomore Bianca Brochu recorded back-to-back kills to lift SSU to a 23-22 lead.

The Citadel's Rachel Keefer recorded a kill to knot the game up at 23. A kill from Ise d”Angelo and an SSU error gave The Citadel their fourth win of the season behind a 25-23 set win.

SSU was led by sophomore Justice Dilworth who recorded seven kills in the match. Brochu added six. Senior Bridgette Stephens led the Lady Tigers on defense with 11 digs. Williams and senior Bryana Gadis each had three service aces in the match.

The Bulldogs were led by Katie Briggs, who also had seven kills. Erin Burcherl led on defense with 12 digs.

The Citadel jumped to a quick 9-2 lead in the opening set, prompting the Lady Tigers to take a timeout. Out of which, they crawled back into the set behind service aces from Brochu and Williams.

SSU Freshman Caitlynn Masoe slammed down a kill to cut the visitors lead to 15-11, later.

Kills from Brochu and Williams cut The Citadel's lead to 16-15, prompting the visitors from Charleston to take a timeout.

Out of the pause, the Bulldogs extended their lead to 21-16 with a short run. Behind four service points from Samantha Espy, including two service aces, the Bulldogs sealed up a 25-16 set win.

SSU sophomore Christian Lyle recorded a service ace en route to a 7-4 lead early in the second game.

Trailing 4-8 to the Lady Tigers, the Bulldogs bounced back with an 8-2 run for an 11-9 lead, prompting the Lady Tigers to take a timeout.

Later, Gadis tied the game up at 14 with back-to-back service aces, but The Citadel responded with a 5-0 run for a 19-14 lead.

Late in the game, the Bulldogs led 22-16, but SSU continued to battle. A Bulldog error and a kill from Dilworth cut the visitors lead to 22-18. Briggs recorded a kill to seal up the 25-18 set win for The Citadel.