Charleston, S.C. Rachel Sanders recorded her first double-double of the season as she put down 12 kills and recorded 13 digs while Emily Hill orchestrated a Bulldog offense that strolled to the program's biggest single-game victory since 2004 as The Citadel (4-3) swept Savannah State (0-7) Friday night, 3-0. Game scores were 30-25, 30-12 and 30-26.
The Bulldogs' offense still didn't run on all cylinders as the team only hit .188 and served up 13 service errors to complement their 14 aces. Sanders led all players with 12 kills but also led all players with nine errors as she only hit .094 on the night. The offense did have its bright flashes as they dominated in the 30-12 game two victory, the largest single game victory for The Citadel since they defeated Savannah State 30-12 in 2004. The Citadel's largest margin of victory in a single game was a 30-4 win over Savannah State in 2002.
The Citadel started the match slow, hitting .062 in game one while the Tigers hit .143. Bulldog senior Samantha Parisi led all hitters in the first game with five kills, hitting .364 while freshman Tiffany Edwards recorded seven digs. The Bulldogs and the Tigers battled in a game one that witnessed nine tie scores and three lead changes but The Citadel pulled out the 30-25 win after scoring five of the final six points of the game.
The Citadel jumped out to an early lead in game two behind the serving of Emily Hill and never looked back. Hill served for The Citadel as the Bulldogs jumped out to an 8-0 lead, garnering two aces during that streak. Hill ended up serving for 15 of The Citadel's 30 points in the game, going on another seven-point run late in the game.
In the third game, The Citadel coasted early while Savannah State came out swinging as the Tigers hit .167. The Citadel held tough on defense and hit .224 in the game to pull out the close, 30-26 victory.
The Citadel returns to action on Tuesday, Sept. 12 as they head to the Tar Heel State to take on the Winston-Salem State Rams. The Bulldogs and the Rams met at the Hampton Invitational on Sept. 2, with The Citadel taking the 3-0 victory.
For complete coverage of Bulldog Volleyball, visit the official home of The Citadel Athletics at CitadelSports.com.
