Miles looked ready to coast to a season opening win Thursday night against Judson College. But after winning the first two sets, the Lady Bears could not close the door, falling to the Eagles in five sets (25-19, 25-15, 23-25, 23-25, 10-15) at Knox-Windham Gymnasium.

Junior Tatiyana Thomas had a double-double (17 assists, 15 digs, 5 blocks) and freshman Julia Whittaker (match-high 9 kills, 7 digs, 3 service aces) had a solid debut but the Lady Bears (0-1) could not overcome 42 attack errors overall and a negative hitting percentage over the final three sets as the Eagles (1-2) rallied for their first win of the season.

The Lady Bears took the first two sets with relative ease. They fell behind early in the third set but a kill by senior Briana Brown gave Miles a 23-21 lead and a chance to get the sweep. But four consecutive attack errors gifted the set to Judson and turned the momentum.

Miles trailed by as many as six points in the fourth set but battled to within 24-23 after a kill by freshman Alexus Cobb-Martinez (6-5-15, .067). But Anna Johnson got one of her team-high seven kills to finish the game and force a deciding set.  The final set was tied at 2 but eight consecutive points by the Eagles put the match out of reach. Miles continued to fight, getting to within 13-9 before coming up short at the end.

La'Promise Boone (match-high 20 assists, 5 aces, 8 kills), Na'Kina Levingston (7-3-13, .308) and Maiya Northard (7-1-18, .333) made solid contributions to the effort for Miles, which next participates in the first SIAC Western Cluster beginning Sept. 13 at Kentucky State.