SAVANNAH, Ga., -- The Edward Waters University women's volleyball team returned to the win column on Tuesday evening, overcoming an opening-set setback to secure a 3-1 (22-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-18) road victory over Savannah State University in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) action inside Tiger Arena.
The victory completed the season sweep of Savannah State for Edward Waters, improving the Lady Tigers to 11-10 overall and 10-5 in SIAC competition. Savannah State dropped to 4-17 overall and 3-11 in conference play.
With the victory, Edward Waters remains in fifth place in the SIAC standings, continuing its push toward postseason positioning as the conference schedule enters its final stretch.
Jewel Helmuth and Norah Laurore led the Lady Tigers offensively, each recording a team-high 12 kills, while senior libero Dimaliz Figueroa and Heylianis Aquino anchored the defensive effort with 24 digs apiece.
Savannah State opened the contest with a competitive first-set performance, recording 12 kills while holding Edward Waters to a .111 hitting percentage. Despite a closely contested frame that featured six ties and three lead changes, the home-standing Lady Tigers edged Edward Waters 25-22 to take an early 1-0 advantage.
Edward Waters responded in the second set, establishing control and limiting Savannah State to a .067 hitting percentage. The Purple and Orange registered nine kills while forcing eight Savannah State attacking errors, allowing the Lady Tigers to secure a 25-19 victory and even the match at one set apiece.
The third set proved to be the turning point as Edward Waters delivered its strongest offensive performance of the evening.
The Lady Tigers erupted for 16 kills on a .244 hitting percentage, their highest offensive output in any set during the contest. Despite 10 ties and two lead changes, Edward Waters maintained its composure and pulled away for another 25-19 victory to take a 2-1 match advantage.
With momentum firmly on their side, the Lady Tigers continued their strong defensive effort in the fourth frame.
Edward Waters held Savannah State to just 10 kills and a .043 hitting percentage while capitalizing on eight attacking errors by the home team. The Lady Tigers secured the fourth set 25-18 to complete the comeback and claim the four-set road victory.
Helmuth turned in one of the most efficient offensive performances of the evening, finishing with 12 kills on a .385 hitting percentage, committing just two attacking errors on 26 attempts. She also contributed one solo block and two block assists.
Laurore matched Helmuth's offensive production with 12 kills, while delivering an impressive defensive performance at the net with two solo blocks and five block assists. She also added eight digs to help lead Edward Waters on both sides of the ball.
Brooklyn Jones contributed eight kills and six digs, while Aquino finished with seven kills, two service aces and 24 digs.
Zakiyyah Abdul added four kills and two block assists, while Genesis Melenciano provided a spark with three kills on a .500 hitting percentage, one solo block and two block assists.
Fresh off earning back-to-back SIAC Setter of the Week honors, Naraiya Thompson continued to direct the Lady Tigers' offense, recording a match-high 43 assists, along with 10 digs and a team-leading three service aces.
Thompson's performance helped Edward Waters generate 47 kills as the Lady Tigers overcame a scrappy Savannah State defensive effort.
The Lady Tigers' defensive effort proved instrumental in securing the road victory.
Figueroa delivered an outstanding performance from the back row, recording a match-high-tying 24 digs, while Aquino matched that total with 24 of her own.
Ayanna Blocker contributed 18 digs, while Thompson added 10 and Laurore finished with eight. Autumn James chipped in seven digs and two service aces.
As a team, Edward Waters finished with 47 kills, 46 assists, seven service aces, 104 digs and 10 total team blocks.
The Lady Tigers held Savannah State to a .080 hitting percentage while finishing with a .128 hitting percentage of their own.
Savannah State was led offensively by Nyalah Smith, who recorded a match-high 12 kills, while Faith Woods added 11 kills and 17 digs. Setter Amiyah Walker contributed 28 assists and 26 digs, while Hope White also finished with 26 digs.
The victory marked another important conference result for Edward Waters as the Lady Tigers completed the season sweep of Savannah State and maintained their fifth-place position in the SIAC standings.
Edward Waters will return to Jacksonville for its next SIAC contest on Thursday, October 22, at 6:00 p.m., when the Lady Tigers welcome Clark Atlanta University for a home matchup during EWU's 2026 Homecoming Week.
IMPORTANT VENUE CHANGE: Due to the Edward Waters University Homecoming Coronation, Thursday's volleyball match will be played inside JWJ Gymnasium on the campus of Edward Waters University, rather than the Adams-Jenkins Complex.
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