ALBANY, Ga. – The Benedict College volleyball staged a big rally in game one and carried that momentum to take a 3-1 victory over Clark Atlanta in the 2011 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament on Monday at Albany State University.

Benedict won 25-23, 25-21, 22-25, 25-19 to improve to 15-5 overall. Clark Atlanta drops to 12-17. Benedict advances in the winner's bracket and will face top-seed and conference champion Kentucky State University on Tuesday at 4 p.m. Clark Atlanta drops to the loser's bracket and will face Tuskegee at noon on Tuesday in an elimination game.

The Lady Tigers trailed 20-13 in the first game before mounting a furious rally, outscoring the Lady Panthers 12-3 to take a 25-23 victory. Ashley Jackson served an ace for game point.

“We should have lost that first game,” said Benedict coach Gwen Rouse. “Without a doubt, that was huge being able to come back.  That just showed we were not going to give up in that first set.”

Benedict kept the momentum going in game two, building a 15-10 lead. Clark Atlanta came back and tied the game at 16, but kills by Lorena Leao and Tatyanna Robison gave Benedict an 18-16 lead and Courtney Bobo-McKenzie closed out the game with a kill and a block.

Benedict built a 14-10 lead in game three, but the Lady Panthers fought back and staved off elimination with a 6-2 run for a 23-19 lead. Keierica Howard closed out the game with a kill to give Clark Atlanta the 25-22 win.

Benedict broke open a close game in game four as Terae Sweeting served for nine consecutive points and the Lady Tigers built a 17-7 lead. A kill by Leao gave Benedict match point at 24-14, but Clark Atlanta rattled off the next five points before a block by Robinson secured the victory for Benedict.

“Terea really, really helped the team,” Rouse said.

LaTayvia Mack, the SIAC Offensive Player of the Year, led Benedict with 21 kills, while Bobo-McKenzie had 10 kills. Leao added nine kills and Sweeting had eight. Jackson had 45 assists.

For Clark Atlanta, Alexandria Mattox led the Lady Panthers with 18 kills, while Chanel Trice added 15. Kailyn Blackmon recorded 40 assists and Tyneisha Spears had 29 digs.