By Brian Hradsky
The Albany State University Golden Rams defeated Benedict College 3–2 on October 20, rallying from two sets down in Columbia, South Carolina. The road victory was Albany State’s 10th consecutive win. The Golden Rams finished the match 19–8 overall and 13–1 in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.
Golden Rams recover after slow start
Benedict took the opening sets 25–21 and 25–16 before Albany State won the third 25–21. The Golden Rams then edged the Tigers 25–23 and 15–13 to complete the comeback. Albany State hit .333 in the third set, providing the offensive reset it needed to extend the match.
Amiria Anderson led the Golden Rams with 16 kills, while Shaniya Banks contributed 11 kills and four blocks. Jarianis Perez recorded 11 kills and 15 digs. Albany State finished with 58 kills, 54 assists, 64 digs and eight aces.
GSB Take
The strongest part of this result was Albany State’s response when the match appeared to be slipping away. Winning the final two sets by two points required execution under pressure, an encouraging sign for conference tournament play. The Golden Rams showed that their winning streak could survive an uncomfortable road test, although this result alone does not guarantee postseason success.
Source: Albany State Athletics match report and official box score.