COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Edward Waters University women's volleyball team continued its impressive run through Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) competition Thursday evening, defeating Allen University 3-1 (25-16, 22-25, 25-16, 25-16) inside Adams Gymnasium to secure its seventh consecutive SIAC victory.
The Lady Tigers have now won seven of their last eight matches, improving to 8-7 overall and 7-3 in SIAC play as they continue to build momentum during the second half of the 2026 season.
The victory was also highlighted by a significant individual milestone, as senior libero Dimaliz Figueroa surpassed 500 career digs, recording 15 digs in the contest to reach the impressive career achievement.
Edward Waters opened the match with an impressive first-set performance, using a balanced offensive attack to take a 25-16 victory. Allen responded in the second set, edging the Lady Tigers 25-22 to even the match at one set apiece.
However, the Lady Tigers quickly regained control in the third set, turning in their most efficient offensive performance of the evening. EWU registered 14 kills against just two attacking errors, posting an outstanding .444 hitting percentage to claim a 25-16 victory and take a 2-1 advantage.
Edward Waters carried that momentum into the fourth set, delivering a match-high 16 kills while limiting Allen to just six kills and a negative .059 hitting percentage. The Lady Tigers closed out the match with another 25-16 victory to complete the four-set triumph.
Offensively, Zakiyyah Abdul and Heylianis Aquino led the Lady Tigers with 10 kills apiece. Abdul added four solo blocks, while Aquino contributed eight digs and a service ace.
Jewel Helmuth delivered an outstanding all-around performance, finishing with nine kills on an impressive .471 hitting percentage, five solo blocks, and two service aces. Helmuth finished with a team-high 16 points.
Brooklyn Jones also recorded nine kills, four digs, and a service ace, while Norah Laurore contributed seven kills and a service ace.
Freshman setter Naraiya Thompson orchestrated the Edward Waters offense, distributing a match-high 40 assists while adding two service aces and three digs.
Defensively, Figueroa and Ayanna Blocker anchored the Lady Tigers' back row, collecting 15 digs apiece. Figueroa's performance marked a memorable milestone in her collegiate career, as the senior surpassed the 500-career-dig plateau while continuing to provide veteran leadership and consistency for Edward Waters.
As a team, Edward Waters finished with 46 kills, 45 assists, 52 digs, eight service aces, and 10 solo blocks, while holding Allen to a .073 hitting percentage. The Lady Tigers posted a .215 hitting percentage for the match, showcasing their offensive efficiency and defensive presence throughout the victory.
Allen, which fell to 3-12 overall and 2-9 in SIAC competition, was led by Tahmiah Lawson, who recorded a match-high 16 kills.
With seven consecutive conference victories and wins in seven of their last eight matches, Edward Waters continues to establish itself as a formidable opponent in SIAC competition as the Lady Tigers look to carry their momentum into the remainder of the regular season.
The Lady Tigers will look to continue their winning ways with a pair of home SIAC matches against Benedict and Allen on Saturday and Sunday.
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ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is an NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) headquartered in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors nine men's and eight women's sports and is a proud member of NCAA Division II. For more information, visit www.thesiac.com.