JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Edward Waters University Women's Volleyball picked up a key SIAC victory on Tuesday evening, defeating Savannah State University 3-1 inside the Adams-Jenkins Community Sports & Music Complex.
The Lady Tigers improved to 3-6 overall and 2-3 in SIAC play, taking the match by set scores of 25-23, 15-25, 25-10 and 25-19. Savannah State fell to 2-10 overall and 1-4 in conference action.
Edward Waters used a balanced attack, strong serving and a dominant presence at the net to secure the victory, finishing with 39 kills, eight service aces and seven solo blocks to go along with 22 block assists.
The opening set was tightly contested as the teams battled through three ties and two lead changes. Edward Waters ultimately found the separation it needed late to edge Savannah State, 25-23, and take an early 1-0 advantage.
Savannah State responded in the second set. The visitors held EWU to five kills in the frame and evened the match with a 25-15 victory.
The Lady Tigers answered emphatically coming out of the break.
Edward Waters delivered its most efficient offensive set of the evening in the third, recording 10 kills with only two attack errors on 20 attempts for a .400 hitting percentage. The Lady Tigers dominated the frame, 25-10, to regain control of the match with a 2-1 advantage.
The EWU carried that momentum into the fourth set. Savannah State attempted to extend the match, with the frame featuring four ties and two lead changes, but the Lady Tigers held firm down the stretch to take the set, 25-19, and seal the four-set conference victory.
Heylianis Aquino led the Edward Waters attack with an impressive all-around performance. Aquino posted a match-high 12 kills while committing just two errors on 32 attempts for a .313 hitting percentage. She also contributed eight digs, three block assists and a service ace, finishing with a team-high 14.5 points.
Jewel Helmuth was a force at the net, finishing with seven kills while hitting .200 and recording four solo blocks and five block assists. Her 13.5 points ranked second on the team.
Brooklyn Jones also produced seven kills and delivered a match-high three service aces, while Zakiyyah Abdul added five kills, one solo block and five block assists. Norah Laurore chipped in five kills and three total blocks.
Freshman setter Naraiya Thompson helped orchestrate the Lady Tigers' offense with a match-high 33 assists while contributing across the board with 11 digs, three kills, three service aces and two block assists. Her 11 digs also led Edward Waters defensively. Dimaliz Figueroa added 10 digs, while Aquino and Ayanna Blocker recorded eight apiece.
The Edward Waters defense made life difficult for Savannah State throughout the evening, holding the visitors to a negative-.008 hitting percentage for the match. Savannah State committed 34 attack errors against 33 kills and hit below zero in the decisive third set.
The Lady Tigers will now hit the road for another SIAC matchup, traveling to Atlanta to face Clark Atlanta University. First serve is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. inside L.S. Epps Gymnasium.
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