Boxscore

RALEIGH, N.C. - Saint Augustine's College lost 3-2 to Winston-Salem State University Friday (Oct. 7) in a CIAA volleyball match that went down to the wire.

The fifth set went the distance before the Lady Rams eked out a 15-13 win to take the match, played at Emery Gymnasium. The Lady Falcons rallied from a four-point deficit to lead by one point briefly. The Lady Falcons led 11-10 before the Lady Rams sealed the victory with a 5-2 run.

The win gave the Lady Rams (9-9, 8-3 CIAA) sole possession of second place in the Southern Division at 4-1 behind leader Fayetteville State. Meanwhile, the Lady Falcons (7-13, 7-4 CIAA) fell into a third-place tie in the division with Livingstone at 2-3. WIth the win, the Lady Rams swept the season series, but this match was much closer than the previous meeting in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Sept. 23. The Lady Rams won that match 3-0.

This time, it was the Lady Falcons who gained the first set. The Lady Falcons pulled out a 28-26 win on two consecutive kills by Brittany Hicks (Jr./Louisburg, N.C.). The momentum carried over into the second set as the Lady Falcons leaped out to a 9-2 lead. The margin didn't last long as the Lady Rams came back to tie the score at 16-16. 

At that point, the match was delayed for 20 or so minutes. When the delay ended, the officials took five points away from the Lady Falcons for illegal substitution, giving the Lady Rams a 16-11 lead. The Lady Rams ended up winning the second set 25-15.

Unfazed by the second set, the Lady Falcons gained a 12-6 lead in the third set capped by three kills from Kathryn Tokarski,(Sr./Saskatchewan, Canada), who finished with 15 kills and 14 digs. Once again, the Lady Rams rallied, tying the score at 20-20 but three straight attack errors by the Lady Rams handed the Lady Falcons the set at 25-21 for a 2-1 lead.

The Lady Rams controlled the fourth set after bursting out to a 6-1 lead. They eventually won 25-19 forcing a fifth and deciding set.

The Lady Falcons fell behind 8-4 but scored four quick points to knot the score at 8-8. They were ahead briefly by one point before the Lady Rams won down the stretch in a tight match which featured 29 ties and 16 lead changes including five in the last set.

Several Lady Falcons gave outstanding efforts in the loss. Victoria Davis (Soph./San Diego, Calif.) added nine kills and 14 digs, and Keisha Parris (Sr./St. Catherine, Jamaica) added seven kills and 20 digs. Roxanne Smith (Sr./St. Catherine, Jamaica) contributed six kills and 30 assists, and Hicks had five kills and 12 digs. Abeje Carrington (Jr./St. George, Barbados) had four blocks.

Francesca Edgerton paced the Lady Rams with 11 kills and Lauren Aikens added 10 kills including the match winner in the fifth set. Kiara Brown totaled 39 assists and 15 digs, and Brittany Rich had 12 digs.

The Lady Falcons play again Tuesday (Oct. 11) against crosstown rival Shaw at Emery Gymnasium. The match, designated as Dig Pink Night, begins at 6 p.m.