The Clark Atlanta University Lady Panthers volleyball team won their fourth straight game, defeating Fort Valley State on the road Tuesday, 3-0.
The Lady Panthers (7-7, 6-3 SIAC) remain in the top spot of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's East Division and are still the only undefeated team in East Division play.
But on a rainy night in Fort Valley as Hurricane Michael began to barrel towards the periphery of the area, Fort Valley State (3-13, 2-8 SIAC) didn't go away easily.
In the first set, the Lady Wildcats led by six midway through until CAU went on a furious 10-0 run, highlighted by three
Taylor Prude kills, to take over the lead at 20-16.
Shaya Shally-Jensen closed out the set with a kill as the Lady Panthers took the first stanza 25-20.
The Lady Panthers never trailed in the second set, though FVSU erased a nine-point deficit and only trailed by three points late. But the early lead was too much for the Lady Wildcats as CAU took the second set 25-21.
The final set was a close one, as the two teams were tied at 16-all midway through the set. But a 5-0 run, led by
Ashley Elmore and
Kia Thomas kills, put the Lady Panthers ahead to stay as they closed out the set 25-22 and the match.
Elmore led CAU with 11 kills, while Prude had 10 kills, eight digs and an assist. Thomas finished with nine kills, a block and an ace.Â
Sierra Nelson had 37 assists, nine digs, and two aces. Shally-Jensen had four blocks, while
Brittany Warren-Dancy added three.
Alexis Gaines had seven digs,
Imani Baker had three aces, and
TiAna Crider finished with four assists.
Nia Bell led FVSU with ten kills, ten digs, three blocks, an ace and an assist.
Next up for the Lady Panthers is a visit to Benedict College on Friday, Oct. 12, followed by the Lady Panthers' first home game of the season on Tuesday, Oct. 16 when they host Tuskegee at L.S. Epps Gymnasium. Admission to that game is free. Â
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