SHREVEPORT, La. – The Ladies hits above .300 in 3-of-4 sets while freshman Rachel Demerjian finished one kill short of a double-double as Centenary (4-6) knocked off NCAA Division I Grambling State (1-11) 25-10, 20-25, 25-16, 25-18.
The Ladies got off to a fast start, holding the Tigers to a negative hitting percentage in the first set. Already up 12-7, Centenary rattled off 11 points on Demerjian's serve. Three straight kills by Demerjian started the run before senior Michaela Brantley added a pair of blocks, the second teaming up with freshman Elizabeth Epley. Two attack errors made the score 19-7 and forced a Grambling State timeout. Freshman Annalee Mathews subbed into serve, and Centenary kept rolling. A Kelley-Epley block, a senior Shyann Pisano kill, an ace, and a Grambling State hitting error ballooned the lead to 16. Centenary took the opening set by 15.
Kelley finished the match with 10 kills, her third time reaching double-digits for the season.
After dropping the second set, the Ladies regained momentum in the third. With Centenary holding a slim 8-6 lead, it scored six unanswered. During the run, Grambling State hit four errors and Brantley contributed a pair of kills. After Grambling answered with a pair of points, the Ladies scored five straight. Two Demerjian kills, two hitting errors by the Tigers, and a freshman Alyssa Davis kill opened up a double-digit lead for Centenary. Later in the et up 23-16, Demerjian recorded another kill and a Grambling State hitting error ended the frame.
Demerjian finished the night with 34 assists, 10 digs, and nine kills, with five kills in set three alone. She hit .500 match, tallying only one error on 16 attack attempts. Davis added a match best 15 kills.
Grambling held a slim 10-9 lead in the fourth set before five unanswered by Centenary gave the Ladies the lead for good. Demerjian tied it with a kill and two Kelley kills pushed the lead to 12-10. An attack error by the visitors and an ace from senior Shannon Orlopp ended the run.
Up 19-16, a 6-2 run ended the match and gave the Ladies the four set win.
Grambling State led 7-6 in set two before scoring six straight. An attack error and a kill from Kevreion Ward pushed the lead to three. A Kabria Dame ace and three Centenary hitting errors opened the lead to seven. Grambling State led by as much as nine, but an 11-4 run cut the Ladies deficit to two. However, a Grambling State 5-2 run at the end of set two tied the match at a set apiece.
Ward led the visitors with 11 kills, while L'Muriell Thrower added 14 assists and 13 digs for the double-double.
Centenary returns to action this weekend when it opens up conference play at Schreiner. The Ladies take on seventh-ranked Trinity Friday night, followed by playing the host Mountaineers and Texas Lutheran on Saturday.
