MONTGOMERY, ALA. | Alabama State methodically dismantled one of the top teams in the MEAC, Florida A&M, on senior night at Lockhart Gymnasium in a quick three-set win (25-20, 25-9, 25-23).
The Lady Hornets (20-17) have now won 10 straight matches as they head into the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Tournament next weekend. With the win, head coach
Penny Lucas-White has led the program to at least 20 wins for six consecutive seasons. Seniors
Candace Martin (two kills, three blocks),
Kayla Torres (three service aces, eight digs, two assists) and
Kori Kutsch (33 assists) were honored before the match for their outstanding careers.
Junior
Bayle' Bennett led Alabama State with 14 kills and 15 digs, her fifth double-double of the season. The Chicago, Ill. native has put away 61 attacks over her last five matches. Kutsch (33 assists, 10 digs) joined her in the double-double metric. Kutsch, who ranks 29
th nationally in service aces, added two more to her tally.
Payten Clark led all Alabama State players with a .467 attack percentage (eight kills on 15 attempts) and notched four blocks. Also of note is sophomore
Imanie Williams, who posted a career-high 12 digs and chipped in with a service ace.
The Lady Hornets were not truly tested until the third set after relinquishing a 16-11 advantage as the Rattlers (8-15) reeled off seven straight points. Showing a resilience and grit that has become synonymous with Alabama State volleyball, the Lady Hornets received kills from
Krysta Medearis, Kutsch and Clark to regain the lead and closed out the match on a 4-1 run.
Next up for Alabama State is the SWAC tournament in Itta Bena, Miss. November 16-18. The Lady Hornets are the No. 2 overall seed and will face Prairie View A&M in the opening round.
Follow the Lady Hornets
For complete coverage of Alabama State volleyball, follow the Lady Hornets on social media at @BamaStateVB (Twitter), /BamaStateSports (Facebook) and @BamaStateSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Alabama State Athletics at BamaStateSports.com.
