BOCA RATON, Fla. – Mia Delahoussaye posted 28 kills across two matches on Friday, as Bethune-Cookman Volleyball dropped a pair of non-conference matches against Youngstown State and Incarnate Word, respectfully, at Abessinio Court at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena on the campus of FAU for the opening day of the Owls Paradise Classic.
 
Youngstown State defeated the Cats by a score of 3-1, while Incarnate Word took the nightcap from the Maroon and Gold by a similar 3-1 decision.
 
YOUNGSTOWN STATE 3, BETHUNE-COOKMAN 1
Mia Delahoussaye tallied a team-high 11 kills for Bethune-Cookman in the opening match of the Owls Paradise Classic at Abessinio Court at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena in Boca Raton, Florida, as Youngstown State took a 3-1 victory from the Wildcats. The Penguins grabbed the win on scores of 25-10, 25-15, 20-25, 25-13.
 
Mia Delahoussaye, a 6-foot-3, outside hitter from West Covina, California, tallied her first double-digit kills performance of the season for the Maroon and Gold.
 
After dropping the first two sets, Bethune-Cookman (0-7) bounced back for the 25-20 win in the third frame.
 
Delahoussaye hit .333 in the third set, placing four of her 11 kills for the match in the third frame for the Wildcats. Janleen De Jesus was joined by teammates Sydni Poston and Elizabeth Phillips with four digs each.
 
Youngstown State (4-3) hit .556 in the opening set with 16 kills against just one error on 27 total swings. In the fourth set, the Penguins hit .333 as a team – their second-highest percentage of the match.
 
YSU used 14 kills by Jazmin Vergara to lead the Penguins offensively, followed in double-digits by Abbie Householder with 11 kills and 11 digs for a double-double effort. Julia Sell recorded three block assists, while Vergara picked up a double-double of her own with a match-high 18 digs.
 
Bethune-Cookman used a two-setter system with the services of Alisha Callender (19 assists) and De Jesus (10 assists), respectively. Delahoussaye finished with 11 kills on 34 swings, four digs and an assisted block. Rylee Davis led the Cats with 14 digs, as it was Phillips finishing with 11 digs of her own.
 
INCARNATE WORD 3, BETHUNE-COOKMAN 1
For the second time in as many matches, Bethune-Cookman outside hitter Mia Delahoussaye finished in double-digits for kills as the Wildcats fell to Incarnate Word, 3-1, in the second match of the day for BCU as part of the Owls Paradise Classic at Abessinio Court at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena in Boca Raton, Florida. UIW took the match with scores of 25-23, 25-18, 21-25, 27-25.
 
With Bethune-Cookman (0-8) trailing 2-0 in the match, freshman Mia Delahoussaye picked up five kills on 10 swings in the third frame to bring the Cats to within 2-1, courtesy the 25-21 set victory.
 
Incarnate Word (6-2) led 18-14, before the Wildcats used a 7-3 run to knot the set at 21-all.
 
Blocks from Niara Hightower and AJ Simmons were joined by a Malina Spencer kill to bring BCU to within 20-18. The Maroon and Gold got another kill from Hightower and a pair of blocks from Hightower and Spencer, respectively, to deadlock the score at 21.
 
The Wildcats stepped ahead for the first time in the set since a 7-6 lead early-on, as Hightower placed a kill and Elizabeth Phillips served two aces down the stretch in the win.
 
A highly contested fourth set went to the wire with Phillips registering four kills in the frame, as well as Ktyal Price putting down three blocks (two assisted) in the set.
 
But in the end, five kills from UIW's Kyla Malone and three kills apiece from Annamarie Alvarez and Allison Palmi allowed the Cardinals the 27-25 decisive set win.
 
The Cardinals used a team-leading 14 kills from Palmi, while Malone 910) and Finley Evans (10) each picked up double-digit kills as well. Anuhea Faitau had a team-high 20 assists, and Natalie Kimmel had 19 assists in the two-setter system for UIW. The digs were supplied by Mariela Nieto with 19, followed closely by Malone with 17 digs for her double-double outing.
 
BCU was paced offensively by Delahoussaye's match-high 17 kills. Elizabeth Phillips had nine kills, seven digs and three service aces. Rylee Davis had 24 digs. Alisha Callender had 19 assists, and Madison Coates passed up 11 assists.
 
Bethune-Cookman finishes the Owls Paradise Classic on Saturday at noon, facing off against the host FAU Owls.
 
Follow Bethune-Cookman Volleyball on Twitter (@BCUVolleyball) and Instagram (@BCUVolleyball) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUAthletics), Instagram (@BCU_Athletics) and BCUathletics.com.