JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Edward Waters University women's volleyball team added another victory to its impressive stretch of Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) play on Thursday evening, defeating Clark Atlanta University 3-1 (29-27, 19-25, 28-26, 25-14) in a thrilling Homecoming matchup inside the James Weldon Johnson (JWJ) Gymnasium.
With the victory, Edward Waters improved to 12-10 overall and 11-5 in SIAC play, completing the season sweep of the Lady Panthers while securing its seventh victory in its last 10 matches. Clark Atlanta fell to 15-8 overall and 7-7 in conference action.
The Lady Tigers showcased a balanced offensive attack, with Jewel Helmuth and Heylianis Aquino leading the way with 14 kills apiece, while setter Naraiya Thompson orchestrated the offense with an impressive 50 assists.
Helmuth delivered one of her strongest all-around performances of the season, posting a .345 hitting percentage while adding a match-high six service aces and finishing with 20.5 points. Aquino provided another outstanding effort, complementing her 14 kills with 15 digs and two service aces.
Senior libero Dimaliz Figueroa anchored the defensive effort with a match-high 20 digs, five assists and two service aces. Thompson contributed four kills, five digs and three service aces to go along with her 50 assists.
Edward Waters faced an immediate challenge in the opening set as both teams traded momentum in a tightly contested battle. With 13 ties and six lead changes, neither side could establish a comfortable advantage. The Lady Tigers demonstrated their composure in the closing moments, outlasting the Lady Panthers 29-27 to claim the early lead.
Clark Atlanta responded in the second set, using an efficient offensive attack to secure a 25-19 victory and even the match at one set apiece.
The third set proved to be the turning point of the evening.
Edward Waters elevated its offensive production, registering a match-high 21 kills while hitting .357 in another closely contested frame. With the score remaining tight throughout the set, the Lady Tigers delivered in the critical moments to claim a dramatic 28-26 victory and regain a 2-1 match advantage.
Carrying that momentum into the fourth set, Edward Waters took command and closed out the match with a convincing 25-14 victory. The Lady Tigers recorded 15 kills and hit .303 in the final frame while holding Clark Atlanta to just six kills and a .032 hitting percentage.
The dominant finish sealed another important conference victory for the Purple and Orange.
In addition to Helmuth and Aquino's performances, Norah Laurore contributed nine kills and two block assists, while Zakiyyah Abdul added eight kills, one solo block and two block assists.
Autumn James provided a valuable offensive spark with seven kills, three service aces and seven digs, while Brooklyn Jones finished with four kills. Ayanna Blocker added nine digs to the defensive effort.
As a team, Edward Waters finished with 61 kills, 56 assists, 16 service aces and 65 digs, recording a .226 hitting percentage. The Lady Tigers' aggressive serving proved especially effective, producing 16 aces compared to just five for Clark Atlanta.
The Lady Panthers were led by Sawyer Arbuckle and Kai Harris, who recorded 17 kills apiece. Carmella Jones contributed 13 kills, while setter Sydney Ray finished with 48 assists and 11 digs.
Thursday's victory continued Edward Waters' strong second-half push through conference play. Having won seven of their last 10 matches and completed a season sweep of Clark Atlanta, the Lady Tigers will look to carry their momentum into another challenging SIAC road contest.
Edward Waters will return to the road on Thursday, October 29, traveling to Columbia, South Carolina, for a highly anticipated SIAC rematch against Benedict College.
The contest will take place inside HRC Arena, where the Lady Tigers will look to avenge their earlier five-set loss to the Lady Tigers of Benedict and continue their push toward the SIAC postseason.
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