SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah State University volleyball team fell to Alabama State in its last non-conference opponent of the season 3-0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-21) Wednesday night for the “Dig Pink” match in Willcox-Wiley Gymnasium.
Junior middle blocker Gabrielle Nathaniel and freshman outside hitter Makayla Tam led the team with five kills each, while Nathaniel added eight digs, a service ace and a block assist, while Tam added three assists, two digs and a service ace.
Over the last two matches against The Citadel and ASU, Tam has led the team with 18 kills, 2.57 kills per set, and has added a service ace and five assists, while Nathaniel has recorded 19 digs, 2.71 digs per set, two total blocks, 0.29 blocks per set and 11 kills, 1.57 kills per set, with a service ace.
Junior setter Caitlynn Masoe led the team with 18 assists and added four kills, two service aces and two digs, while junior libero Alexis Washington led the team with 12 digs. Freshman outside hitter Chinenye Ofodile added four kills.
Over the past two matches, Masoe has recorded 48 assists, 6.86 assists per set, two service aces, 0.29 service ace per set, and 14 digs, 2.00 digs per set, while Washington has recorded 26 digs, 3.71 digs per set.
ASU scored the first three points of the match to go up 3-0 in the first set and outscored SSU 22-11 during the rest of the set to take a 1-0 match lead. Tam, Ofodile and freshman outside hitter Ayree Gallon each recorded two kills, while Masoe added five assists and Washington recorded four digs.
The Hornets scored the first four points of the second frame for a 4-0 lead and extended its lead to five, 9-4 before the Lady Tigers cut the lead to two, 9-7. ASU outscored SSU 16-7 during the rest of the set to win the set and to take a 2-0 lead heading into intermission. Masoe led the team with three kills and with three assists, while Washington added four digs.
With the score tied at nine in the final stanza, ASU outscored SSU 13-9 to lead by six, 24-18. With the Lady Tigers facing match point, SSU scored the next three points to cut the lead to three, 24-21, but an SSU error gave the Hornets the set win and the match win. Nathaniel led the team with three kills and with five digs, while Masoe added 10 assists.
The Hornets were led by Myla Marshall with 13 kills, Riley MacDonald with 16 assists and Scout Wonsang with 12 digs.
The Lady Tigers travel to Florida this weekend to face Bethune-Cookman at 7 p.m. in Daytona Beach and Florida A&M at 3 p.m. on Sunday.