JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Edward Waters University women's volleyball team returned to the win column Sunday afternoon, defeating Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) opponent Allen University 3-1 (25-6, 17-25, 25-17, 25-20) inside the Adams-Jenkins Complex.
Coming off a heartbreaking five-set loss to Benedict College on Saturday, the Lady Tigers responded with a strong all-around performance, improving to 9-8 overall and 8-4 in SIAC play.
Edward Waters wasted little time establishing control, dominating the opening set with an impressive offensive and defensive display. The Lady Tigers recorded 11 kills against just two attacking errors, posting a .409 hitting percentage while holding Allen to a negative .083 clip. EWU cruised to a commanding 25-6 victory to take an early 1-0 advantage.
Allen responded in the second set, capitalizing on Edward Waters' offensive struggles to claim a 25-17 victory and even the match at one set apiece.
However, the Lady Tigers quickly regained their rhythm in the third set, recording 11 kills while holding the Yellow Jackets to a negative .067 hitting percentage. Edward Waters pulled away for a 25-17 victory to reclaim control of the match.
With an opportunity to close things out in the fourth set, EWU delivered its most productive offensive frame of the afternoon, registering a match-high 16 kills while hitting .256. The Lady Tigers secured a 25-20 victory to complete the four-set triumph and earn their eighth conference victory of the season.
Brooklyn Jones led the Edward Waters offensive attack with a team-high 14 kills, posting an impressive .364 hitting percentage. Jones also contributed four digs and two block assists, finishing with 15 points.
Heylianis Aquino turned in an outstanding all-around performance, recording a double-double with 12 kills and a match-high 16 digs. Aquino was especially effective from the service line, delivering an impressive seven service aces to finish with a match-high 19.5 points.
Jewel Helmuth continued her strong play at the net, contributing eight kills, five total blocks, including two solo rejections, and three service aces. Helmuth also collected five digs and finished with 14.5 points.
Norah Laurore added seven kills and two block assists, while Zakiyyah Abdul contributed four kills and four total blocks.
Freshman setter Naraiya Thompson directed the Lady Tigers' offense, distributing a match-high 35 assists while adding nine digs and two service aces.
Defensively, Ayanna Blocker provided 12 digs, while senior libero Dimaliz Figueroa recorded four digs and two assists.
As a team, Edward Waters finished with 48 kills, 43 assists, 60 digs, 12 service aces, and 14 total blocks. The Lady Tigers also posted a .226 hitting percentage while limiting Allen to just .064 for the match.
Allen, which fell to 4-13 overall and 3-10 in SIAC competition, was led by Tahmiah Lawson with 10 kills, while JaNiya Lamar recorded a team-high 20 digs.
The victory marked a strong response for Edward Waters following Saturday's setback and continued the Lady Tigers' impressive stretch of conference play as they look to build momentum heading into the final portion of the regular season.
The Lady Tigers will return to action Tuesday, October 13, at 6:00 p.m., when they host Fort Valley State University in another important SIAC matchup inside the Adams-Jenkins Complex.
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