TALLADEGA, Ala. – The Talladega College women's volleyball team extends its winning streak to six in a row with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-15) win over visiting Mile College tonight. The Tornadoes improve to 8-4 on the year while the Bears drop to 1-1 on the season. Talladega this season is 3-0 against NCAA Division II teams from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).
Miles opened up a 5-2 lead in the opening set but back-to-back points from Talladega pulled it within one. Both teams went back and forth for most of the set with the Bears going up 19-13, but the Tornadoes put together a 6-0 run to take a 20-19 lead. Miles tied the game at 20 off a kill, but Talladega took advantage of a service error and an attack error by the Bears to go up, 22-20. The Bears trailed by one off a kill, but Talladega answered with their own kill, and then Miles matched that kill with another to make it, 23-21. The Tornadoes replied with a kill by
Zyaire Prettie Garrit to go up 24-21, but the Bears made it 24-22 off a kill of their own. Talladega then closed out the set with a kill from
Re'na Ashley to win, 25-23.
Talladega wasted no time in set two as it took an early 6-1 lead. The Bears answered as they strung together a 6-1 run to tie it, 7-7. Both teams went back and forth again with the Tornadoes holding the edge, 13-12. Miles then scored the next three points straight to take its first lead in the set. That lead didn't last as Talladega scored the next five points in a row to go up, 18-15. The Tornadoes and Bears again went back and forth for the second time in the set with Talladega holding a one-point lead. Up 22-21, Talladega closed out the set on a 3-0 run to lead 2-0 in the match.
The Tornadoes jumped out to an early 12-3 lead in set three. The Bears attempted to chip away at the lead but they came as close as, 16-11. After that, Talladega went on a 9-4 run to close out the set and the match.
Talladega for the match hit .323 as a team with a team-high .406 in set one.
The Tornadoes recorded 10 aces with
Dyani Steward finishing with a match-high six.
Prettie Garrit led the Tornadoes in kills with 12, while teammates Ashley and
Kiana Polk each tallied 11 kills apiece. Ashley also finished with five digs.
Giovana Costarelli recorded her ninth match of double-digit digs with 20 tonight for Talladega.
The Tornadoes are back home on Saturday, September 9 when they host Columbia International University at 2 p.m. and Truett McConnell University at 4 p.m.
