Oct. 23, 2009
Final Stats
Call VB Contact Michael Stambaugh for more details - 386.481.2278
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The LadyCats of Bethune-Cookman volleyball got Homecoming weekend off to a great start as the won big against Winston-Salem State on Friday night. B-CU laid it on thick offensively as they routed the Lady Rams in three sets, winning each by an average of twelve points, taking the match in scores of 25-15, 25-10, and 25-14, leading B-CU to its fourth victory in the last five matches.
The LadyCats built their success on the backs of scoring runs in each of the three sets. In the first set, B-CU pushed on top early and built a ten-point lead by mid-set, working off strong serving to win 25-15. In the second set, B-CU kept unforced mistakes to a minimum, and rode the eight consecutive point serving of Shakhea Moore-Hagins to a 21-9 lead, which led to a 25-10 victory. In the final set, the LadyCats maintained their focus and came out firing on a 10-2 run, which set the tone for a strong 25-14 victory, and finished off the rams in three-sets.
"We really came into this game talking about setting the tempo for the whole match, and I think they did a good job of that tonight," said Head Coach Vanessa Cogswell of B-CU's preparation for WSSU.
Leading the offensive attack for B-CU, Shakhea Moore-Hagins with 8 digs.
Earlier in the week, UNF broke a three-game win streak for the LadyCats, but they showed determination to improve from the loss and showed that determination in tonight's performance. Against UNF, the LadyCats only collected 16 team kills, and hit a negative percentage as a team. In tonight's match, the team collected 36 kills while hitting .338 overall, minimizing mistakes and only earning 10 errors. Meanwhile, they held down WSSU, limiting them to just 18 kills.
"We came into practice after that [UNF] game, very focused and very disciplined," noted Cogswell. "They want to win and know what it takes to win, and I think they've really made sure to stay grounded and know that it takes fundamentals to win the game."
The Lady Rams of WSSU were led by Annika Barnwell, who finished with 9 kills and 5 digs.
The LadyCats now set up for a big MEAC showdown at the close of the weekend, as B-CU travels to Tallahassee to face off with MEAC Southern Division rival and reigning conference champion, Florida A&M, Oct. 25 at 3 pm.
"We have to be the aggressor," said Cogswell about the Florida A&M matchup. "That's the big thing, we can't stand back and wait for someone else to make a play; we can't stand back and wait for FAMU to make a mistake. We have to be the ones to just be aggressive and just go up strong and take care of business."
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