MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Savannah State volleyball fell in close matches to The Citadel and host Alabama State on Thursday in the opening games of the ISTAP Collegiate Cup 2 in Montgomery, Alabama.
The Lady Tigers opened the day against regional rival The Citadel with a strong start. SSU took a quick 10-4 lead behind six straight service points from newcomer Olivia Wasdin.
Justice Dilworth pushed the Lady Tigers to a 16-9 lead with two service aces and five service points. But, the Bulldogs opened a 7-2 run late in the set to cut SSU's lead to 18-16.
SSU went up 20-17, but the Bulldogs pushed down the stretch beating the Lady Tigers 25-21 for a 1-0 lead.
Midway through the second set, SSU held an 18-16 lead again, but this time they held off the Bulldogs' late attack. A kill from The Citadel's Moriah Smith evened the set at 22. A Citadel error gave SSU a 23-22 lead.
Gabrielle Nathaniel slammed down a kill on a serve from Wasdin to give SSU the set point. Newcomer Zariya Thomas finished off a 25-22 win for SSU with a kill on a serve from Wasdin, and assist from Lynae Bryant.
Knotted up at 1-1, the Bulldogs came out firing in the third set, taking an early 8-3 lead. Out of an SSU timeout, the Citadel went up 12-4 behind four straight service points from Amanda Rudnik.
SSU etched close to the Citadel's lead late in the set, but were unable to overcome a late offensive blast from Bulldogs, falling 15-25.
Into the fourth set, The Citadel held all the momentum taking an early 5-0 lead. The Lady Tigers struggled through the set, as the Bulldogs out of Charleston, South Carolina sealed up a 3-1 match win with a 25-13 set victory.
Thomas led SSU with a season-high 13 kills. Nathaniel and Dilworth each registered seven kills, and Dilworth led the team in digs with 12. Dominique Williams led the Bulldogs with 10 kills, while Rudnik led in digs with 14.
In the nightcap, SSU took on host Alabama State, and struggled out of the gate. The Lady Hornets took a 12-3 lead early in the first set, prompting an SSU timeout.
Alabama State continued the offensive push going up 20-9 late on a service ace from Rachel Smith. Back-to-back kills from the Lady Hornets sealed up a 1-0 lead with a 25-13 set win.
The Lady Tigers held with Alabama State in the second set, knotting the game up four times before the home team pushed out to a 15-10 lead behind a service ace from Chelsey Scott.
SSU fired back with two points on a kill from Dilworth and a service ace from Wasdin. After an Alabama State point, Dilworth registered another kills, and Caitlynn Masoe recorded a service ace to cut Alabama State's lead to 16-14.
The Lady Hornets fired back with a 9-2 run and a 25-16 set win, taking a 2-0 lead into the third set.
SSU came out strong in the third set, taking a 9-7 lead behind four straight service points from Masoe, who just returned to the team after missing the opening games of the season due to a finger injury. Alabama State knotted the game up at 10 with a kill from Rachel Smith.
Midway through, a tight battle ensued as teams knotted up the game five times. Ellyn Jones registered a service ace to tie the set at 21 all, prompting SSU to take a timeout.
Out of the pause, teams traded the final points. Nathaniel tied things up at 24 on a kill with an assist from Masoe. Two kills from Alabama State sealed up the final two points, and a 3-0 win for the home team.
Nathaniel led the Lady Tigers with eight kills, followed closely by Dilworth who registered six kills and led the team in digs with 11. Masoe led in assists with 18, and also recorded six digs in her return to the court.
Alabama State's Scott led the team with 14 kills, while Jamie Coleman led in digs with 15.
SSU continues in the tournament with the program's first matches against Southeast Missouri State, and Towson University on Friday. Live stats for the matches can be found HERE.