HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Bethune-Cookman's Mia Delahoussaye registered a team-high 11 kills Friday night as the Wildcats fell away to Alabama A&M 3-0 inside Elmore Gymnasium in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Volleyball matchup. Alabama A&M collected the win on set scores of 27-25, 25-18 and 25-23.
 
Bethune-Cookman (3-17, 3-6 SWAC) led 24-23 in the opening set following a Ktyal Price kill down the middle of the court. Consecutive attack errors by the Wildcats ensued, allowing Alabama A&M to regain a 25-24 advantage. Mia Delahoussaye answered for the Maroon and Gold, knotting the set at 25-all. But it would be back-to-back kills from the Bulldogs' Samaurya Mahone to push the hosts to the 27-25 set victory.
 
Alabama A&M (7-16, 6-3 SWAC) hit a match-high .464 in the second set, using 15 kills on 28 swings against just two errors throughout the frame.
 
With the set tied at 7-7, the Bulldogs began an 8-2 run off the swing of Mahone and capped by a block from Ajanae Cressey to step ahead, 15-8. Throughout the set, Mahone recorded four kills for AAMU, while teammates Saldy Amparo Smith, Caitlin Shaw and Bailey Duckett each provided three kills to move the Bulldogs ahead in the match at 2-0 on the strength of a 25-18 set win.
 
In the third frame, BCU produced its highest hitting percentage of the evening, as the Cats hit at a .346 clip with 13 kills – and Delahoussaye providing five of those.
 
BCU led 22-19 after a Chloe Conover kill and an Alabama A&M attack error, forcing the Bulldogs into a timeout.
 
After the timeout, Grace Tapscott delivered a kill for the home side, followed by a kill off the swing of Duckett and a Wildcats error. That matched the set at 22-all and forced BCU into a timeout of its own.
 
AAMU collected four of the final five points down the stretch, with two of those points being errors charged to the Cats.
 
The Bulldogs used 11 kills from three performers – Smith, Duckett and Mahone, to lead their side in that category. Mackenzie Jefferson topped the team with 21 assists, and teammate Tapscott provided another 19 from her setter position. Michell Jerez had 12 digs.
 
For BCU, it was Delahoussaye's sixth double-digit kills performance of the season, as the West Covina, California freshman accumulated a match-high tying 11 on the night. Madison Coates delivered 19 assists to lead the Wildcats. Alisha Callender chipped in with 14 assists. Niara Hightower, the SWAC's leader in blocks, had two (one assisted), while the duo of Essence Bell and Elizabeth Phillips each finished with seven digs.
 
The Cats travel to Alabama State on Sunday for a SWAC matchup against the Hornets in Montgomery, Alabama. First serve is set for 4 p.m. ET.
 
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