In a back-and-forth match between the two top picks in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference East Division race, the Clark Atlanta Lady Panthers volleyball team lost an epic, five-set battle at Albany State, 3-2 Thursday.

Clark Atlanta (1-3, 0-1 SIAC) was picked in the preseason to finish second, just behind Albany State (3-5, 2-0 SIAC), in the SIAC East race in 2019 – just as they finished last season. 

Thursday, the Lady Panthers came out strong, breaking open a 12-12 first-set tie with a 10-3 run as they won the first frame 25-19.   In the second set, the Lady Panthers had a three-point swing early to make things close at 8-7.  But the Golden Rams held their lead, using a 10-2 run to pull away to take the second set, 25-12.

CAU roared back in the third set, with six straight points midway in the set to take over the lead and go on to win that set 25-17.   Albany State countered in the fourth set, leading most of the way to win the set 25-18 and tie the match at 2-2.

In the deciding set, Ashley Elmore's kill pulled the Lady Panthers into a 6-6 tie.  The Lady Panthers tied the set again at 8-8, but the Golden Rams used a 6-1 run to go up 14-9.  CAU gamely fought, with three straight points to pull to within two at 14-12.  But Lenee Blot's kill made it 15-12, giving Albany State the set and the match.

Elmore finished with 12 kills and a dig for CAU, while Kia Thomas had nine kills, three service aces, three digs and a block.  Taylor Prude had four kills and 12 digs, Lauryn Kelly finished with three kills and seven digs, and Imani Ellis had two kills, one dig and a block.  TiAna Crider had 29 digs and three aces, while Amirah Bentley had 24 assists, five digs and a kill. Chara Robbins had eight digs for the Lady Panthers.

Blot led Albany State with 13 kills, with Tomiah Jones adding 30 assists.

The Lady Panthers are off for a week before returning to Albany, Ga., next Thursday for the SIAC Crossover tournament, Sept. 26-28.