LEES-McRAE, N.C. –The Benedict College men's volleyball team rallied from a 2-0 deficit to force a fifth set, but Bluefield College scored the final four points in the fifth set to take a 3-2 victory over the Tigers on Saturday.

Bluefield won the match 25-19, 25-20, 22-25, 22-25, 16-14. The Tigers fall to 0-3 in their first season. Bluefield College won its first match to go to 1-2.

Ras Jesse Delancy led the Tigers with 15 kills, while Benjamin Attles added 11 kills. Terran Walkin recorded 33 assists, while Clint Forbes led the defense with 11 digs.

The first set was tied 18-18 before Bluefield scored seven of the final eight points. Bluefield used a 9-2 run late in the second set to take a 21-13 lead and held on for the win. The Tigers broke a 19-19 tie in the third set by scoring three straight points, getting a kill from Delancy and a service ace by Attles. The Rams cut the lead to 23-22, but Benedict closed out the set with a Bluefield attack error and a kill by Walkin. Benedict used an early four-point run in the fourth set to take a 12-8 lead and held the lead the rest of the way. Bluefield cut the lead to 24-22, but Attles closed out the set with a kill.

The Tigers had an 8-3 lead in the fifth set. Bluefield rallied to cut the lead to 9-8. Benedict scored the next three points on kills from Attles and Walkin for a 12-8 lead. Benedict had a 14-12 lead after a kill by Attles and needed just one more point for the program's inaugural win. But the Rams rallied with four straight points on a Benedict service error, a pair of kills, and a Benedict attack error.

The Tigers return to action on Wednesday with a road game at Belmont Abbey.