BLUEFIELD, WV - The Claflin University Lady Panthers (1-3) showed a lot of heart, but the team came up just short in a four-set road loss to the Bluefield State Big Blue (3-1), Thursday evening. After a close 19-25 loss in the opening set, the Lady Panthers secured a 25-21 win in the second set before falling 28-30 and 21-25 in the final two sets of the match.
 
As a team, the Lady Panthers gave a solid defensive effort, but the team had a hard time getting their offense going. The Lady Panthers totaled 56 digs with 16 total blocks (12 solo).  The duo of freshman middle blocker Taneja Robinson and junior middle hitter Mya Broom both recording four solo blocks. Junior outside hitter Simone Newell led the Lady Panthers' offensive attack with seven kills while Broom added six kills.
 
The match was a hard-fought one from the very beginning with both teams starting the match with some strong play. After falling behind, 4-7, in the first set of the match, the Lady Panthers scored three straight points to tie the set, 7-7. From there, the Lady Panthers kept the set within reach, 17-19, but the team allowed Bluefield State to score five straight points to fall behind, 17-24. The team tried to get back into the set with back-to-back ­scores, but a Bluefield State kill ended the set and gave the Lady Panthers the 25-19 loss in the first set.
 
The second set was the best of the night for the Lady Panthers. After battling early in the set, the Lady Panthers went on to pull away from the Big Blue to claim the set win. The most impressive effort came midway through the set when the Lady Panthers went on an 8-2 run that included kills from junior Erin Preston, sophomore Danielle Branch, and senior Makaylen Crosby. The run left the Lady Panthers on top, 17-12. From there, the Lady Panthers held off the Big Blue to close out the 25-21 set win.
 
The third set was the most dramatic set of the match with the Lady Panthers battling to a 30-28 set loss. The Lady Panthers opened the set with a strong start, taking a 19-9 lead over the Big Blue. It was when the Lady Panthers took a 24-17 lead over the Big Blue that things got challenging for the Lady Panthers. The team allowed eight unanswered points to Bluefield State to tie the set, 25-25. The Lady Panthers were able to take a 28-27 lead over the Big Blue after a pair of Bluefield State errors. Unfortunately, the Lady Panthers allowed three straight points to take the 30-28 set loss and fell behind, 2-1.
 
The final set of the match saw another strong start by the Lady Panthers, but the team was not quite able to pull out the victory. A Newell service gave the Lady Panthers a 10-3 lead over the Big Blue. Over the course of the set, the Lady Panthers allowed the Big Blue to chip away at their lead, 19-16. Unfortunately, the Lady Panthers soon fell victim to a 9-2 Bluefield State run that sealed the Lady Panther loss, 25-21.
 
With the loss, the Lady Panthers fall to 1-3 on the season. The team will return to action, Monday evening when they host the Allen Yellowjackets in a 6:00 p.m. match. For more information on Lady Panther volleyball, contact the Claflin University Office of Athletic Media Relations at (803) 535-5548 or log on to www.athletics.claflin.edu.