ALBANY, Ga. – The Edward Waters University women's volleyball team saw its two-match winning streak come to an end on Thursday evening, falling 3-1 (16-25, 15-25, 25-14, 20-25) to Albany State University in a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) matchup inside HPER Gym.
The setback dropped the Lady Tigers to 10-9 overall and 9-5 in SIAC competition, while Albany State improved to 18-8 overall and 12-1 in conference play.
Edward Waters struggled to find its offensive rhythm early in the contest as Albany State established control in the opening two sets.
The Golden Rams claimed the first set 25-16, holding the Lady Tigers to six kills and a -.036 hitting percentage. Albany State countered with 10 kills and a .147 hitting percentage to take an early advantage.
The second set followed a similar pattern, with Albany State continuing its offensive efficiency. The Golden Rams recorded 12 kills on a .270 hitting percentage, while limiting Edward Waters to seven kills and a -.024 hitting percentage en route to a 25-15 victory and a commanding 2-0 match lead.
Facing a two-set deficit, the Lady Tigers responded with their strongest performance of the evening in the third frame.
Edward Waters found its offensive rhythm, producing 13 kills and a .205 hitting percentage while holding Albany State to just eight kills and a .051 hitting percentage. The Lady Tigers dominated the set 25-14, cutting the Golden Rams' advantage to 2-1 and extending the match into a fourth frame.
Albany State regrouped in the fourth set, using 14 kills and a .256 hitting percentage to regain control. Despite a competitive effort from Edward Waters, which registered 11 kills in the frame, the Golden Rams secured a 25-20 victory to close out the match.
Norah Laurore led the Lady Tigers offensively with a team-high 13 kills, while adding seven digs and five block assists to anchor Edward Waters' efforts at the net.
Jewel Helmuth turned in an impressive performance, finishing with 12 kills on a .417 hitting percentage, committing just two attacking errors on 24 attempts. Helmuth also contributed a service ace, three digs and two block assists.
Fresh off earning her second consecutive SIAC Setter of the Week honor, Naraiya Thompson continued to direct the Lady Tigers' offense, recording a match-high 33 assists, along with eight digs, one kill and a service ace.
Heylianis Aquino contributed six kills, 10 digs and a team-high three service aces, while Genesis Melenciano provided a spark off the bench with three kills and three block assists.
Senior libero Dimaliz Figueroa led Edward Waters defensively with a match-high 16 digs, while adding two assists and a service ace.
As a team, Edward Waters finished with 37 kills, 35 assists, seven service aces, 59 digs and six total team blocks. The Lady Tigers were held to a .090 hitting percentage, while Albany State recorded 44 kills on a .181 hitting percentage.
Albany State was paced by Aleiah Carr, who finished with 12 kills, while Jarianis Perez added nine kills, 15 digs and four service aces. The Golden Rams also received 19 assists from Trinity Britt and 18 from Onyinyechi Nwosu.
Despite the setback, Edward Waters demonstrated resilience with its third-set victory against one of the SIAC's top teams and will look to carry that momentum into its upcoming matches.
The Lady Tigers will step outside conference competition on Sunday, October 18, when they face NCAA Division I opponent South Carolina State University.
Following Sunday's matchup, Edward Waters will return to SIAC competition on Tuesday, October 20, against Savannah State University, looking to bounce back and strengthen its position in the conference standings.
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