Boxscore

RALEIGH, N.C. – Saint Augustine's College ended its volleyball regular season in thrilling fashion Monday (Oct. 31) at Emery Gym.

The Lady Falcons outlasted Claflin University 3-2 on Senior Night after rallying to take the fifth set by a narrow 15-13 score. It gave the Lady Falcons their fourth straight victory and plenty of momentum heading into the CIAA Tournament which starts Friday (Nov. 4) in Hampton, Va.

“We are peaking right at the end of the season, thanks to a very tough non-conference schedule,” said first-year Lady Falcon Head Coach Nikki Bynum. “We have very good morale heading into the tournament.”

Claflin swept the Lady Falcons (13-16 overall) in three close sets two weeks ago in Orangeburg, S.C., but the Lady Falcons were determined not to lose on Senior Night – especially seniors Kathryn Tokarski (Saskatchewan, Canada), Keisha Parris (St. Catherine, Jamaica) and Roxanne Smith (St. Catherine, Jamaica), who were honored between the second and third sets. Parris led the team with 16 kills and Tokarski added 14 kills in addition to a match-high 24 digs. Smith had 32 assists and five blocks.

Victoria Davis (Soph./San Diego, Calif.) added three solo blocks and six blocks while Cierra Neal (Fr./New Hill, N.C.) posted 13 digs. Brittany Hicks (Jr./Louisburg) tied Parris and Smith with 10 digs. The Lady Falcons needed all of their contributions to hold off the Lady Panthers (26-7 overall), the No. 1 team in the SIAC.

The match was tight throughout with the Lady Falcons winning 25-21 in the first set. The Lady Falcons suffered a letdown in the second set, losing 25-14, which tied the match. The third set was electrifying; with the Lady Falcons pulling out a 32-30 win in a set which featured 18 ties and seven lead changes.  The Lady Falcons actually trailed 23-18 at one point but scored six straight points after a timeout to lead 24-23.

The Lady Panthers dominated the fourth set 25-13, forcing a fifth set. The Lady Falcons jumped out to an 8-3 lead in the final set, but the Lady Panthers stormed back to go ahead 13-11. The Lady Falcons finished with a flurry, scoring the last four points capped by Davis' solo block to pull out the win.

The Lady Falcons will enter the league's double-elimination tournament as the Southern Division No. 3 seed. Their matches are scheduled at 9 a.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. in Friday's round-robin play.