Lady Panthers Open CIAA Play With Setback at Livingstone
Terica Peay
Salisbury, N.C. — The Claflin University volleyball team opened Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) play Monday night with a 3-1 loss to Livingstone College inside Trent Gymnasium. With the setback, the Lady Panthers move to 6-6 overall and 0-1 in CIAA play as they return home looking to respond in their conference home opener.
Claflin came out strong in the opening set, recording 14 kills on a .244 hitting percentage to take the first frame.
Zaniya Harris and
Aryanna Connell led the Lady Panthers' offense, each finishing with 13 kills.
Livingstone answered in the second set, holding Claflin to a .000 hitting percentage to even the match. The Blue Bears continued to build momentum in the third set before closing out the match with a 10-5 advantage in the fourth.
Harris finished the night with 13 kills, six digs and two blocks, while Connell added 13 kills and six digs.
Monica Burns provided a strong presence at the net with seven kills while hitting .238 and contributing defensively.
At the setter position,
Nadia Embry directed the Claflin offense with 18 assists, while freshman
Joi Tinsley added 16 assists. Embry and Tinsley also recorded double-digit digs (Embry 10 digs and Tinsley 12 digs), each posting a double-double.
Abigail Watts anchored the defensive effort with a team-high 12 digs, while Harris and Connell each recorded six.
The Lady Panthers also received contributions from
Taylor Miller, who recorded four kills and four digs, and
Jamila Lewis, who added four kills and four digs. Despite the conference-opening setback, Claflin will have an opportunity to regroup quickly with its first CIAA home match of the season.
Up Next
The Lady Panthers return to Orangeburg on Thursday, Sept. 24, when they host Johnson C. Smith University for Career Day. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
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About Claflin University Athletics
Claflin University is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II institution that sponsors 13 intercollegiate sports. The university's athletic program includes volleyball; women's flag football; men's and women's cross country; men's and women's basketball; softball; men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field; and baseball. Claflin's teams compete primarily in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), while the baseball program competes in the Peach Belt Conference.
