XENIA, Ohio — Edward Waters University Women's Volleyball completed a perfect weekend at the SIAC Crossover on Saturday morning, sweeping Kentucky State University, 3-0, at Beacom/Lewis Gym.
The Lady Tigers battled through a tightly contested opening set before taking complete control, defeating the Thorobreds 28-26, 25-14 and 25-12. The victory improved Edward Waters to 7-7 overall and 6-3 in SIAC play, while Kentucky State fell to 2-18 overall and 1-9 in conference action.
Edward Waters leaves Ohio with a perfect 3-0 record at the SIAC Crossover, following Friday victories over LeMoyne-Owen and Tuskegee before Saturday's sweep of Kentucky State. The Lady Tigers have now won six consecutive SIAC matches and six of their last seven contests overall.
Saturday's finale was powered by an outstanding offensive performance from Brooklyn Jones, who finished with a match-high 17 kills on 31 attacks with only three errors, posting a .452 hitting percentage. Jones also added five digs and an ace to finish with 18 points.
Heylianis Aquino provided another major spark for the Lady Tigers, delivering an impressive all-around performance with 10 kills, 10 digs and eight service aces. Aquino hit .333 for the match and matched Jones with a team-high 18 points.
After Kentucky State pushed EWU throughout the opening frame, the Lady Tigers eventually prevailed 28-26. From there, Edward Waters seized control of the match.
EWU cruised to a 25-14 victory in the second set before producing its strongest offensive frame of the morning in the third. The Lady Tigers recorded 13 kills with only four errors on 28 attacks for a .321 hitting percentage in the final set, while Kentucky State was held to a negative hitting percentage as Edward Waters closed the match with a decisive 25-12 victory.
Norah Laurore added six kills and three block assists, while Zakiyyah Abdul contributed four kills and three block assists. Jewel Helmuth was a force at the net with two solo blocks and two block assists to go along with three kills and an ace.
Freshman setter Naraiya Thompson directed the Edward Waters attack with 24 assists, while Ayanna Blocker collected nine digs. As a team, the Lady Tigers finished with 40 kills, a .252 hitting percentage and 10 service aces, while holding Kentucky State to 25 kills and a .085 hitting percentage.
The victory capped an impressive turnaround in conference play for Edward Waters. After dropping its first three SIAC matches of the season, EWU has responded by rattling off six consecutive conference victories to improve to 6-3 in league action.
The Lady Tigers will return to action on Thursday when they travel to Columbia, South Carolina, for an SIAC road matchup against Allen University. First serve is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. inside John Hurst Adams Gymnasium.
Follow The Tigers
For complete coverage of Edward Waters University Athletics, follow the Tigers on social media @EWU_Athletics (Twitter), /EWUTigers (Facebook) and @EWU_Athletics (Instagram) or visit the official home of Edward Waters Athletics at EWUTigerPride.com.
