DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Mecca Freeman led all Bethune-Cookman players with eight kills Friday afternoon, as the Wildcats opened the 2023 campaign with a 3-0 setback to visiting Marshall in the "Bash at the Beach" hosted by BCU inside Richard V. Moore Gymnasium. Marshall claimed the match courtesy scores of 26-24, 25-12 and 25-17.
 
Bethune-Cookman (0-1) ran out to an early 9-4 led in the opening set behind kills from freshman Chloe Conover (Lubbock, Texas) and sophomore outside hitter Mecca Freeman (Houston, Texas). However, Marshall (1-1) would answer to deadlock the set at 15-all, using the serve of Jazminn Parrish for three consecutive points, as well as a pair of attack errors charged to the Maroon and Gold.
 
The Wildcats took a late 20-17 lead when freshman defensive specialist Sydni Poston (Chicago, Ill.) registered a service ace, forcing a timeout taken by Marshall head coach Ari Aganus.
 
The Thundering Herd would exit the timeout and close the opening frame on an 8-4 run in order to claim the 26-24 victory – added kills down the stretch by the Thundering Herd's duo of Lydia Montague and Brynn Brown. Montague finished the set with four kills, while Brown added four of her own.
 
The Cats were limited to just a -.143 hitting percentage in the second set, as the Thundering Herd's Kylee Stokes and Montague each produced four block assists in the frame. BCU was guided by the play of Niara Hightower (Wichita Falls, Texas) and Mecca Freeman (Houston, Texas) in the set, with each Wildcat posting a pair of block assists, respectively.
 
In the end, it would be Marshall holding a 2-0 lead in the match courtesy the 25-12 set victory behind three service aces from Peyton Neal.
 
Marshall would close out the match in the third with a .333 hitting percentage off the strength of Stokes' five-kills performance in the frame, as the graduate transfer hit .556 for the Thundering Herd. BCU countered with three kills each from teammates Freeman and redshirt senior outside hitter Jasmine Moore (Baytown, Texas).
 
For the match. the Thundering Herd was led by Stokes and her 13-kills outing, hitting .346 in the match and providing seven blocks (five assisted). Montague finished with seven kills and six blocks (five assisted), while Brown recorded a match-high 31 assists.
 
Bethune-Cookman was paced by sophomore Freeman with eight kills and three assisted blocks. Redshirt senior setter Madison Coates (Oviedo, Fla.) provided a team-high 16 assists, while classmate Janleen De Jesus (Patillas, Puerto Rico) added 10 assists of her own. Hightower led the Maroon and Gold with five assisted blocks. And it was Essence Bell (Ocala, Fla.) bringing in a team-high 16 digs from her libero position on the court.
 
Bethune-Cookman looks to rebound later Friday evening when the Wildcats face The Citadel back at Moore Gymnasium at 7 p.m., in the final match of opening day action at the "Bash at the Beach".
 
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