COLUMBIA, S.C. – Albany State University took a 2-0 lead and held off a late rally by the Benedict College Lady Tigers to take a 3-1 victory in an SIAC volleyball match Friday night in the Benjamin E. Mays HRC Arena.

Albany State won 25-21, 25-19, 19-25, 28-26 to improve to 13-10 overall and 11-3 in the SIAC. Benedict fell to 10-10 overall and 9-6 in the SIAC.

Albany State scored the final three points of the first set, including serving an ace for the final point.

Benedict tied the second set at 14, but the Lady Golden Rams scored six of the next seven points for a 20-15 lead.

Benedict came back in the third set, scoring four straight points for a 13-11 lead, including getting an ace from Je'Nae Saunders. Benedict used another four-point run to take a 20-13 lead, getting a kill and a block from Torcealon Kelley and an ace from P'yuncka Kearse-Peeples. Albany State cut the lead to 21-17, but the Lady Tigers got a kill from Kelley and then a kill from Kalena Wiggins closed out the set.

Three straight service aces by Kearse-Peeples to start the fourth set gave Benedict an early 5-2 lead. Benedict had a 12-7 lead after a kill by Jocolby Brown. Albany State used a five-point run to take a 17-15 lead. Benedict had a 24-22 lead after a kill by Aaliyah Lawson, but the Lady Golden Rams came back with three straight points. Benedict tied the set at 25 on a kill by Arneshia Parrish. Parrish tied the set at 26 with another kill, but Albany scored the final two points on a kill and a Benedict error to claim the match.

Parrish led Benedict with 14 kills. Kearse-Peeples had a team-high 12 digs, while Saunders recorded 33 assists.

Benedict is back in action on Sunday at 2 p.m., when the Lady Tigers will host Fort Valley State University.