FORT VALLEY, Ga. – The Wildcats started league play as they finished it last spring with success. Fort Valley State had its way and powered past Benedict College, 3-0, in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's volleyball opener.

FVSU went out to an 8-point lead midway through the first set, 17-9, pushed it to 10 a few points later and netted the final two points for a 25-15 opening win. The Wildcats repeated the same result in set number two by turning a 15-10 edge into doubling the score, 22-11, before the identical 25-15 win. Benedict slid ahead early in the third set, 3-2 and 4-3, but FVSU quickly erased it to 14-7 and went on for an 8-1 surge ending the match (25-11).

After winning all 10 SIAC games last season, FVSU (5-8) added another in the streak. Benedict fell to 3-3 and 0-1 in the SIAC.

As a team, FVSU hit .542 for the match with 32 kills with six errors in 48 attacks. The Wildcats also held the visitors to only 11 total kills in three sets.

Isaiah Fedd posted a team-high eight kills, .556, six aces and two digs. Raheem Thomas hit even better at .714 with six kills only one error in seven attacks with two blocks and two aces. Jaxon Hicks added five kills, .571, four digs, two blocks and two assists.

Jose Gallardo contributed four kills and three assists, while Oshane Farquharson handed out 10 assists, three aces, four digs and two kills. Constantine Ononye added three digs and Muhammad Mbaye had three kills.

FVSU and Benedict complete their season series right away on Thursday evening, Feb. 27, in Columbia, S.C., starting at 6 p.m.

-Wildcats-