COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Benedict College men's volleyball team split a doubleheader with Maryville University on Wednesday in the Benjamin E. Mays HRC Arena.
The Tigers won the first match 3-1, pulling out a close and hard-fought battle, 25-21, 25-14, 28-30, 26-24. Maryville took the rematch 3-1 in another tight contest, 25-22, 25-17, 18-25, 25-18.
Benedict goes to 2-9 in its inaugural season. Maryville, a first-year program from Missouri, goes to 18-11.
The Tigers used an 8-2 run in the first set to take a 16-9 lead. The Saints cut the lead to 23-21, but Benedict was able to close out the set with a kill by
Zion Beckford, and a Maryville attack error closed out the first set.
Benedict had a seven-point run early in the second set to take an 8-3 lead. A six-point run later in the set gave the Tigers a 16-7 lead. A four-point run late in the set put Benedict ahead 23-12. The Saints scored the next two points, but Benedict took advantage of a pair of Maryville errors to take the second set.
Maryville won a marathon battle in the third set. Maryville had a 24-22 lead, but Benedict held off set point and tied the score at 24. Benedict survived set point three more times, then took a 28-27 lead on a Maryville attack error. But the Tigers couldn't finish off the set, as the Saints scored the next three points on a kill and a pair of Benedict errors.
The fourth set was also a close contest. Benedict used a late four-point spurt to take a 23-19 lead. The Saints rallied with five straight points to retake a 24-23 lead. This time the Tigers were able to finish off the set, scoring the final three points on kills by
Ras Jesse Delancy and
Benjamin Attles.
In the second match, the Saints won the first two sets, but the Tigers came back strong in the third set, but Benedict couldn't keep the momentum going in the fourth set.
Attles had a season-high 15 kills in the first match, while
Zion Beckford added 12 and Delancy added 10.
Terran Walkin had a season-high 39 assists.
Clint Forbes had a season-high 15 digs.
In the second match, Beckford had a season-high 14 kills. Walkin had 32 assists and Forbes recorded 11 digs.
The Tigers travel to Central State on Friday, and Kentucky State on Saturday.
