BOWIE, MD --The Shaw volleyball team needed just four sets (25-13, 25-19, 24-26, 25-13, 25-13) to take down the Bluefield State Lady Blues Saturday at AC Jordan Arena in the semifinal round of the CIAA Championship. 

The out-of-conference win improved the Lady Bears Bears' overall record to 28-4 on the season.

The Lady Bears offense was paced by Amari Earl, who finished with 14 kills on the day, and by Leanna Beaty, who had 11 while hitting .55.Maelie Chupin also pitched in with five in the contest. Defensively, had three players reach double figures in digs, including Kalia Morris' 24, 16 from Nayara Pereira, and 14 more from Chupin. From the front row, Kamille Patrick contributed five blocks.

Game Notes

» Shaw had three players in double figures in digs.
» Maelie Chupin had a match-high five aces in the win.
» Shaw served up five aces on the way to a first-set victory.
» Amari Earl had a team-high 14 kills for Shaw.
» Shaw got a match-high 24 digs from Kalia Morris.
» Shaw attackers were helped by a match-high 40 assists from Manuela Cripa Nasser.

How It Happened

SET 1 | The Lady Bears grabbed control of the set-one lead at 2-1 and held the lead the rest of the way to win 25-13. Shaw led by 17 points at 18-1 before finishing off the set. Shaw also supplemented their offense with five aces in the opening set. got a solid defensive performance from a front row that blocked four Bluefield State attacks in the stanza.

SET 2 | Shaw built on a set-one win by earning a 25-19 victory in set number two. The Lady Bears earned the set victory thanks to a strong performance on the attacking side. Shaw registered a .367 attack percentage with 13 kills in the set win. The Lady Bears ended on a strong note, stretching their lead to its largest point in the set to finish out the stanza.

SET 3 | Shaw couldn't end the match in a sweep, losing set three to make their lead two sets to one in the match. The Lady Bears rallied from a nine-point deficit at 21-12, but Bluefield State hung on to win the set 26-24.

SET 4 | Shaw then responded to claim the match win with a 25-13 fourth-set victory. The Lady Bears took control of the set at 3-2 and held the lead the rest of the way. Shaw ended the stanza on a high note by opening up its biggest lead, 12 points, to finish off the set, collecting 15 kills . Shaw also supplemented their offense with three aces in the set.

Up Next

Shaw advances to the 2024 CIAA Championship match against Fayetteville State Sunday in Bowie, MD. First serve is slated for 12 PM.