A data storage system includes a data management system that transfers data between a host system and multiple storage devices through multiple channels. The data management system receives data from the host system and writes the data as data segments to the multiple storage devices. Each data segment may comprise one sector, more than one sector, or a portion of a sector, depending on the embodiment. The data segments are transferred to and from the multiple storage devices in parallel fashion while the data in each data segment is transferred to its corresponding data storage device sequentially. The data management system reassembles data segments received from the data storage devices and sends the data to the host system.