COLUMBIA, S.C.: Allen University volleyball made history Tuesday night, rallying for a 3-2 victory over Benedict (15-25, 25-19, 18-25, 25-22, 17-15) at Adams Gymnasium and earning its first win over the Tigers in Three years.
After dropping the opening set, the Yellow Jackets took the second, fell behind again in the third, and then won two of the closest sets of the night to complete the comeback. The fifth set went back and forth until Allen pulled out a 17-15 finish. The match featured 26 ties and 10 lead changes, with 10 of the ties coming in the fourth set alone.
Allen's defense made the difference at the net and in the back row. The Yellow Jackets finished with 15 team blocks and 70 digs, and held Benedict to a .088 attack percentage, including negative hitting in the fourth set (-.087) with 14 errors. Allen finished at .099 for the match with 47 kills, matching Benedict's total.
With the win, Allen improved to 6-13 overall and 5-10 in SIAC play. Benedict fell to 11-8 overall and 7-6 in the conference. Allen had gone without a win in the series since 2023.
Saige Bradley led the way with a team-high 18.5 points, adding 12 kills and 5.5 blocks, while Neriya Kindred added 10 kills for 11.0 points. Tahmiah Lawson chipped in nine kills, and Kamryn Nelson contributed four kills and 4.5 blocks. Janaye Sweat added seven kills and 2.5 blocks.
JaNiya Lamar anchored the back row with a match-high 30 digs and three service aces. Alivia Pettit directed the offense with 23 assists, and Raven Marks added 13 assists, seven digs, and two aces.
Benedict was led by Desire' Young, who had 12 kills and 18.0 points. Jayden Johnson and Mia Burgess each had eight kills, and Kelsey Joshua posted 16 digs.
Notes
- Allen earned its first win over Benedict since 2022, ending a four-year losing streak in the series.
- The Yellow Jackets blocked 15 shots as a team to Benedict's 11, led by Bradley's 5.5 and Nelson's 4.5.
- Allen won both of the match's closest sets, 25-22 in the fourth and 17-15 in the fifth.
- The match included 26 ties and 10 lead changes.
- Allen hit .286 in the fifth set (nine kills, three errors) to close out the match.
- Lamar's 30 digs accounted for 43 percent of Allen's team total.
How It Happened
First Set
- Benedict jumped out early and hit .391 (10 kills, one error) to take the opener, 25-15. Allen had 11 kills but committed seven errors.
Second Set
- Allen answered with its best set of the night offensively, hitting .310 with 13 kills and four errors to even the match with a 25-19 win.
Third Set
- Benedict regained the lead with a 25-18 win as Allen struggled to find rhythm, hitting .000 with eight kills and eight errors.
Fourth Set
- The fourth set featured 10 ties and five lead changes. Allen held on for a 25-22 win to force a deciding fifth set, despite hitting just -.071. Benedict was even worse at -.087, with 14 errors.
Fifth Set
- Allen found its offense at the right moment, recording nine kills against only three errors for a .286 attack percentage. The Yellow Jackets edged Benedict, 17-15, to seal the win and the program's first victory in the series in four years.
Up Next
Allen will return to action Friday, October 16, at 6:30 p.m. at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Ga.
