Box Score HAMPTON, VA – The Chowan University volleyball team took a 2-0 lead in the CIAA Championship match, and looked poised to win their third straight title, but the Saint Augustine's College Lady Falcons stormed back to win the final three games and their fist championship since 2003.
 
Saint Augustine's won the thrilling match by scores of 20-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-23, 17-15.  The Lady Falcons (17-16) entered the tournament as the #3 seed from the CIAA South, but went 2-1 in pool play on Friday, and swept Winston-Salem State University in the semi-finals, to reach today's championship.
 
SAC's Keisha Parris led the comeback effort with 20 kills while Tournament MVP Kathryn Tokarski added 15.  The Lady Falcons never wavered, even when they were in a two games to none hole.  “We allowed Saint Augustine's to get momentum, and that's when they become a very dangerous team,” said Head Coach Peter Green., referring to the Lady Falcons' poise.
 
The Hawks (26-8) benefitted from two lengthy runs during the first two games to take the early advantage.  The difference in the final three games, though, was that those runs never occurred.  Each of the three games were close throughout, and neither team could find a large lead.
 
Five players recorded double figure kills for Chowan.  Monica Ruffin nailed a team-high 17, and was closely followed by Tori Lewis' 15, Karina Monroe's 14, and Megan Sawyer's 13.  Nikira Fults added 10 kills.
 
Lewis also recorded a game-high 25 digs and Callie Armistead tallied a game-high 62 assists. 
 
For the Lady Falcons, Roxanne Smith had 46 assists and 15 digs.  Tokarski totaled a team-high 18 digs.  Saint Augustine's College automatically qualifies for the NCAA Atlantic Regional Tournament with the win.  Chowan will have to wait and see if they qualify with an at-large bid.