VALDOSTA, Ga. – Paine College opened play at the Valdosta State University Invitational Friday morning, falling to Rollins College in straight sets, 3-0 (7-25, 5-25, 8-25), at The Complex in Valdosta.
The Lady Lions struggled to establish an offensive rhythm against an efficient Rollins attack. Paine finished with eight kills on 64 attempts, while Rollins recorded 35 kills and just seven attack errors on 63 attempts for a .444 hitting percentage. The Tars also created separation from the service line with 15 aces.
Taleah Hayes, Akirah McCrae and Jienta Salley led the Paine attack with two kills apiece. Hayes hit a team-best .091 on 11 attempts, while McCrae added a block assist and Salley recorded Paine's lone solo block. Anea Jones-Deshields led the Lady Lions defensively with five digs, while Jamia Seals collected four digs and three assists. Roselyn Valverde also handed out three assists and added three digs.
Rollins received a balanced offensive effort, with Cameron Grange and Rylee Yarborough recording five kills apiece. Grange hit .714, while Yarborough hit .400. Robinson Repass, Kai Hazelett and Vivian Scuteri added four kills each. Lelolai Paulino-Dinzey led a strong Rollins effort from the service line with five aces.
How It Happened
Set 1 – Rollins 25, Paine 7
Rollins established control in the opening set behind an efficient offensive attack. The Tars put down 12 kills with only three errors on 21 attempts, hitting .429 in the frame.
Paine was limited to two kills on 17 attempts in the opener. Hayes and McCrae accounted for the Lady Lions' two kills, with Hayes converting one of her three attempts without an error.
Rollins maintained its offensive pressure throughout the frame and secured the 25-7 victory to take a 1-0 advantage.
Set 2 – Rollins 25, Paine 5
The Tars continued their strong offensive performance in the second set, producing 15 kills on 26 attempts with only three errors for a .462 hitting percentage.
Paine's attack was held to one kill in the frame as Rollins used its serving and offensive efficiency to prevent the Lady Lions from developing sustained momentum. The Tars closed out the set, 25-5, to move within one set of the match victory.
Set 3 – Rollins 25, Paine 8
Paine increased its offensive production in the third set, recording five kills, its highest total of the match.
The Lady Lions, however, were unable to slow another efficient Rollins attack. The Tars committed just one attacking error in the final frame and hit .438, putting down eight kills on 16 attempts.
Rollins finished the 25-8 third-set victory to complete the sweep. Paine dropped to 0-3 on the season, while Rollins improved to 5-4.
By the Numbers
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2 — Kills apiece for Hayes, McCrae and Salley to lead Paine.
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5 — Digs by Jones-Deshields, a team high.
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6 — Total assists for the Lady Lions, with Seals and Valverde recording three each.
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3.0 — Total blocks for Paine, including a solo block by Salley and block assists from McCrae and McCarthy.
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5 — Paine kills in the third set, its best offensive output of the match.
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15 — Service aces for Rollins, led by Paulino-Dinzey's five.
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.444 — Rollins' hitting percentage for the match, compared with -.141 for Paine.
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35 — Kills for the Tars compared with eight for the Lady Lions.
Up Next
Paine continues play at the Valdosta State University Invitational on Saturday, September 12, with a pair of matches at The Complex in Valdosta, Georgia.
The Lady Lions will face host Valdosta State University at 9 a.m. before returning to the court to take on Lander University at 1 p.m.
