HBCU VOLLEYBALL WEEKLY ROUND-UP: SWEEPS WEEK!

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Image Credit: Andrew McCray/TSU Athletics.
Coppin, Texas Southern, & Fayetteville State Sweep Their Opponents, Talladega Wins and Lincoln Falls, Both in 3 Straight Sets

 

Talladega Roars Back to Defeat Stillman in Four-Set Battle

Talladega, Ala. — After a slow start, the Talladega College Tornadoes flipped the momentum Thursday night, rallying from a first-set loss to defeat Stillman College 3–1 in an inspired home victory.

Stillman edged out the opening set 27–25, but that was the last time they held control. Talladega stormed back with confidence and composure, taking the next three sets 25–21, 25–16, and 25–20 to secure the win.

After the win, Head Coach Janay Yancey praised her team’s resilience and balance.
“We started off slow, but once we made adjustments, our composure and execution improved with each set,” Yancey said. “Offensively, it was one of our most balanced performances of the season. We embodied our team culture by dictating the tempo and staying poised through mistakes.”

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Coppin State Volleyball Takes The Sting Out of Delaware State with 3-0 Sweep

BALTIMORE – Coppin State’s volleyball team remained perfect in conference play with a dominant, 3-0 (25-12, 25-22, 25-7) victory over Delaware State on Sunday afternoon at PEC Arena.  The Eagles improved to 12-9 overall and 6-0 in the MEAC while the Hornets fell to 6-13 on the year and 2-3 in conference play.

CSU hit a season-high .417, recording 45 kills on 84 attempts while committing just ten errors. The Eagles were credited with six total blocks and held the Hornets to a .067 hitting percentage, the second-lowest total for a Coppin opponent this year.

After the win and for a MEAC-high third time this season, Senior Outside Hitter TaKenya Stafford received Player of the Week honors. Freshman Outside Hitter Atilano also picked up Rookie of the Week accolades for the first time.

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Fayetteville State Volleyball Sweeps Johnson C. Smith for Fifth Straight 3-Set Victory

FAYETTEVILLE, NC  Fayetteville State extended its win streak to six matches and continued its dominant stretch with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-10, 25-15) sweep of Johnson C. Smith on Monday evening at Felton J. Capel Arena. The victory marked the Broncos’ fifth consecutive sweep and improved their record to 10-4 overall and 6-1 in CIAA play.

Symone Morris led Fayetteville State with a match-high eight kills and added a service ace. Jasmine Culp anchored the defense with 15 digs, and Chantiya Johnson controlled the net with a match-high seven blocks. Giovanna Teixeira paced the offense with 13 assists and two service aces.

Fayetteville State will travel to Bowie, MD this weekend for the second CIAA Volleyball Roundup of the season.

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Lincoln University (PA) Lions Falls to Chestnut Hill

Oxford, PA – The Lincoln (PA) women’s volleyball team put up a determined effort but fell 3–0 (25–18, 26–24, 25–19) to Chestnut Hill College in a non-conference match up on Saturday.

Freshman Kaniece Wright led the Lions offensively with seven kills, while Audreynette Lydgate followed with six kills and two blocks. Charly Manley added four kills, two aces, and seven digs to round out the Lions’ attack.

Despite the setback, Lincoln showed tremendous resilience and offensive improvement, particularly during the competitive second set. The Lions (0–16, 0–6 CIAA) return to action on Monday, October 13, in Richmond, Virginia, for a CIAA match up against Virginia Union University.

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Texas Southern Volleyball Sweeps Grambling, Extends SWAC Win Streak

HOUSTON — With the Homecoming crowd bringing the energy, Texas Southern volleyball delivered a show-stopping performance Monday night, sweeping Grambling State (25-12, 29-27, 25-12) at the Health & Physical Education Arena.

The Lady Tigers fed off the festive vibes, jumping out to a dominant start and never looking back. Standout Gracie Hill was electric, slamming down 14 kills on a scorching .706 hitting percentage. Senior Kourtni Collier added 12 kills and four aces, keeping the momentum rolling for TSU.

The second set was a thriller, with both teams trading blows before TSU pulled away 29-27. But the third set was all maroon and gray, as the Lady Tigers closed the match with a statement win in front of a lively Homecoming crowd.

“I told our girls, This is what we know you can do, and we expect you to do it — we hold you to that standard,” said head coach Alexis Austin. “The key is to get the win. We don’t want to lie down — our goal is to continue to apply pressure.

That final timeout, as we saw the tit-for-tat, we knew there was going to come a time where we had to battle with them. We had to stay disciplined. It was all about, ‘Hey, you have to fight — and you have to fight disciplined.'”