The Tribune

BAHAMIAN Je’Nae Saunders was one of two senior players who had a big game as the Benedict Lady Tigers defeated Paine College 3-0 on Tuesday night in their final regular-season volleyball match.

Benedict took the match 25-16, 25-23, 25-22 to improve to 14-13 overall and 11-7 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). Paine fell to 13-13 overall and 8-11 in the SIAC.

Saunders, the daughter of veteran volleyball players Kim and Jason Saunders and sibling to Je’Vaughn Saunders, the new coach at her alma mater at St Augustine’s College, had a double-double with 34 assists and 14 digs, while Jocolby Brown had 10 kills and four blocks in their final home game.

Arneshia Parrish had a team-high 11 kills and hit .429 for the Lady Tigers. Benedict jumped out to an early lead in the first set, leading 9-2 and 12-4. Paine cut the lead to 19-14 before Benedict scored the next three points, getting a kill by Brown. Parrish closed out the set with a kill.

Benedict rallied to pull out a win in the second set. After falling behind 20-18, Benedict scored the next three points to pull ahead 21-20 with kills by Parrish, Kalena Wiggins and Torcealon Kelley. A Benedict service error later tied the set at 23-23, but the Lady Tigers closed the set out with a kill by Kelley and a double-block by Brown and Saunders.

Benedict took a 13-7 lead in the third set, but the Lady Lions rallied to tie the set at 17-17. Back-to-back kills by Kelley gave Benedict a 23-20 lead. Brown scored a kill to make it 24-21 and then followed with the match winner.

Benedict will now travel to Birmingham, Alabama, for next week’s SIAC Volleyball Tournament. Benedict, the fourth seed in the SIAC East, will open tournament play on November 18.