HOUSTON – Texas Southern was powered by 18 kills from Kennedy Reed on Monday afternoon in leading Texas Southern to a 3-1 win in the finale of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Volleyball Cluster #1 event housed inside the Health & Physical Education Arena on the campus of Texas Southern University.
 
Texas Southern claimed the match on scores of 25-23, 21-25, 25-20, 25-15.
 
After dropping the opening set, Bethune-Cookman (3-15, 3-4 SWAC) battled back with 12 kills in the second set, adding eight block assists and three solo blocks to claim a hard-fought 25-21 decision.
 
Ktyal Price supplied the Wildcats with three assisted blocks and two kills on two swings in the frame. Elizabeth Phillips led the BCU attack with three kills, while Niara Hightower – the SWAC's leader in blocks, added three more to her collection (two solo / one assisted), and AJ Simmons provided three blocks of her own (two assisted) in the Maroon and Gold set victory.
 
Texas Southern (4-17, 4-2 SWAC) bounced back in the third set hitting at a .250 clip, while holding the Cats to just .111 hitting in the frame. Kennedy Reed registered seven of her match-high 18 kills in the third set, hitting .500 overall in the set, as the host Tigers earned the 25-20 set win.
 
Reed led all players with 18 kills on the day, while teammate Amber Johnson tallied nine kills for TSU. Dallas Balanay-Flores had 28 assists from her setter position. Ryan Henderson had 26 digs, followed by Britney Ong with 25 digs to lead the Tigers defensively.
 
BCU was led in kills by Simmons with nine as Malina Spencer provided eight additional kills. Alisha Callender had 14 assists, and Janleen De Jesus added another 10 assists. Essence Bell recorded a team-high 23 digs on defense, and it was Price adding six blocks (five assisted).
 
Bethune-Cookman returns home Friday, Oct. 13, when the Wildcats host in-state opponent Florida A&M for "Senior Appreciation Night" on what is also a BCU Homecoming weekend in Daytona Beach, Florida. The match is slated to begin at 6 p.m., inside Moore Gymnasium on the campus of BCU.
 
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