COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Benedict College volleyball team opened the 2015 season with a 3-0 loss to rival Claflin University on Friday night in the Benjamin E. Mays HRC Arena.
 
Claflin won 25-19, 25-20 and 25-14 to improve to 1-1 overall and 1-0 in the SIAC. This was the season opener for Benedict, now 0-1 overall and 0-1 in the SIAC.
 
Benedict hit just .065 against the Lady Panthers, while Claflin hit .321. Aaliyah Lawson and Arneshia Parrish had six kills each to lead Benedict. Je'Nae Saunders had 14 assists, while Majda Cisic led the team with nine digs.
 
Brianna Garvin and Bria Bronston had nine kills each to lead Claflin. Sonia Rosales had 33 assists and Jhi Piper-Murles had nine digs.
 
In the first set, Claflin scored six straight points to break away from a 6-6 tie. The Lady Tigers rallied with five straight points to cut the lead to 12-11. Later, a kill by Parrish and a service ace by P'yuncka Kearse-Peeples cut the lead to 20-17. A Claflin service error made the score 22-19, but the Lady Panthers scored the final three points to clinch the set.
 
Benedict jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the second set as the Lady Tigers got kills from Lawson and Cisic and an ace from Saunders. Benedict led 7-4 when Claflin scored five straight points to take a 9-7 lead. Claflin had a 12-11 lead when the Lady Panthers scored five of the next six points. Benedict cut the lead to 19-17 after kills by Kiarra Pettway and Parrish, but Claflin scored the next three points. Claflin closed out the set with a kill by Jordan Wallace.
 
Claflin got off to a hot start in the third set, leading 11-2 and 14-3. Trailing 19-6, Benedict scored six straight points to cut the lead to 19-12. Claflin scored the final four points of the set to secure the win.
 
Benedict is back in action on Tuesday against Johnson C. Smith University in the Benjamin E. Mays Arena. The match will start at 7 p.m.