ALBANY, GA – The Kentucky State University volleyball team was tested Thursday, but ultimately pulled out a pair of victories to open up action in the 2019 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Volleyball Crossover, hosted by Albany State University.

GAME ONE: KENTUCKY STATE 3, ALBANY STATE 0 (25-20, 25-23, 27-25)
Kentucky State trailed in each of the three sets, but proved their championship mettle in pulling out the straight set victory over host Albany State.

Senior Tapanga Moten (New Orleans, La.) led the offense in an efficient manner with a team-high 11 kills on 19 attempts and just three errors for a hitting percentage of .421. Sophomore Mariah Peachey (Liverpool, Ohio) added eight kills, while freshman Brianna Etienne (Houston, Texas) and junior Robin Poole (Katy, Texas) finished with seven kills each.

Junior Sasha Bills (Mesa, Ariz.) continues to effectively distribute the offense, dishing out a team-high 18 assists. Junior Oyuky Benitez (Laveen, Ariz.) recorded 22 of the team's 48 digs in the victory.

GAME TWO: KENTUCKY STATE 3, BENEDICT 1 (25-27, 25-17, 30-28, 25-17)
After dropping the first set, the Thorobreds rebounded for the four-set victory over Benedict.

A balanced offensive attack in which five different players, led by Poole, recorded double-figure kills. Poole finished with her first double-double of the season with a team-high 16 kills and 11 digs.

Bills had her best game in a Kentucky State uniform, recording her fourth double-double of the year. She had a career-high 29 assists and a career-high 15 digs in helping the Thorobreds to the win. Freshman Makayla Berry (Orangeburg, S.C.) also had a career performance with a personal high-water mark of 13 kills.

Moten finished with 11 kills, while Peachey had 10 and Etienne recorded a career-high 10 kills. Moten added a team-high five blocks.

Benitez continued her solid, if not spectacular, defensive play with 20 digs, while sophomore Alliyah Williams (Sugar Land, Texas) added 11 digs.

Kentucky State (8-6 overall, 6-1 SIAC) continues Crossover action with a trio of games Friday. The Thorobreds begin action 8 a.m. against Fort Valley State, followed by a noon match against Paine and a 2 p.m. match with Clark Atlanta.