Itta Bena, Miss. | Eight years ago, Alabama State volleyball was just another Southwestern Athletic Conference volleyball team looking for a spark. Enter former international star Penny Lucas-White.

Five consecutive 20-win seasons and four conference championships later, the program has morphed into the standard that the rest of the conference strives to replicate.

Sunday night's 3-1 (17-25, 27-25, 25-17, 25-9) takedown of Mississippi Valley State (2-18, 0-6) held significance for Lucas-White and the Lady Hornets on multiple levels. It marked Alabama State's fourth-straight conference victory. It was also Lucas-White's 150th career win at Alabama State. 

"I had no idea until my girlfriend told me today. I said to her 'Really?'," Lucas-White said, while acknowledging that her focus had already moved ahead to Alcorn State. "I have Alabama State to thank for the opportunity to be able to achieve this."

The Lady Hornets (8-14, 5-1 SWAC) struggled in the early stages of the match and were doomed in the first set by three service errors and six Devilettes' service aces. Additionally, they were outhit .148 - .032 in the period. An 8-3 run by MVSU yielded a 15-10 deficit that the Lady Hornets were unable to recover from. Outside hitter Krysta Medearis was a bright spot in the set with three kills and senior Kayla Torres had five digs.

Alabama State was able to overcome a 7-0 run from the Devilettes and used two 3-0 bursts of its own to eventually even up the match in the second stanza. Junior Taira Cottingham was a critical component down the stretch, accounting for three of the final four Alabama State points, including a set-clinching hammer. The Lady Hornets were much stronger at the net in the second frame, racking up five total blocks compared to zero in the opening set. They also hit a stout .435.

The third set finally saw the visitors take control as Candace Martin recorded a set-high six points (four kills, two blocks) and culminated the frame by rejecting a Devilettes' attack. Payten Clark chipped in with three kills and three blocks, providing a strong presence at the midline.

Kori Kutsch propelled Alabama State on a 10-0 run to open the match-clinching fourth set and Clark put the finishing touches on her strongest night of 2018 with five kills. Clark led all Lady Hornets with 16 points (13 kills, five blocks).

"Payten is really a force and once we can get her going we will start peaking further down the road and then we will really come into the team that we were meant to be this season," Lucas-White said.

Bayle' Bennet grabbed a double-double (13 kills, 16 digs), her third of the year. Kutsch tallied 41 assists, the senior's second straight match with at least 40 helpers. Medearis (12 kills) and Cottingham (nine kills) also had significant contributions.

Alabama State makes a quick turnaround with a match tomorrow night at 7 p.m. against Alcorn State in Lorman, Miss.

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