DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – ­ If things went according to schedule, Phylecia Armstrong wouldn't have been in New Orleans last weekend.
 
Her volleyball career was supposed to end last season as part of a loaded senior-laden team that took Bethune-Cookman to its first-ever Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament championship match. That ACL injury that forced a redshirt season in 2014 kept her around, and maybe everything happens for a reason, they say. Armstrong got proof of that last Saturday when Bethune-Cookman defeated Tulane for its first victory of the season.
 
Not only was that win perhaps the biggest non-conference road win in program history, but Armstrong's hitting percentage of .750 smashed the single-match attack percentage record and ensured her a place in the record book alongside her for a long time to come.
 
For those volleyball challenged: attack percentage is calculated by number of kills MINUS errors divided by number of total attacks. That's like going 2-4 in baseball, but only getting a .250 average because you struck out.
 
And that's what makes Armstrong's performance that much more impressive: She had 15 kills in 20 attempts against Tulane with NO errors in a tightly contested, five-set affair.
 
"It feels great," Armstrong said. "I've been waiting for a moment like that for four years."
 
This is the part where things go philosophical: Would Armstrong have had a match like that last year?
 
Possibly. So what else is Armstrong bringing to the court this season?
 
Last year, Armstrong was a leader on a team with a lot of leaders. This year, she's THE leader of a team with seven newcomers in a transitional season.      
 
"I mean, you hate to have a kid get hurt, but having her around this year has been instrumental for us," said B-CU Head Coach Brittany Williams. "Coming off of a season like the one we had last year, the expectations are high.
 
"Phylecia sets the standard, she IS the standard when it comes to BCU volleyball," Williams added. "Her leadership and maturity has always been a huge part of what makes her such an amazing player to coach, teammate to play along side and overall phenomenal young woman."
 
Armstrong's content with her new role.
 
"Yeah, it kind of stinks not having everyone around anymore," Armstrong said.  "Completely different vibe. But I'm happy with how things have turned out and I'm blessed to be a part of this team."

Armstrong's second on the Lady Wildcats with 53 kills and a hitting percentage of .291. Alana Handy leads B-CU with 68 kills.

Bethune-Cookman is in the Grand Canyon state this weekend for a two-match series at Northern Arizona.