TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman rallied from a second-set loss to defeat Southern University 3-1 in a keenly contested Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Volleyball match Monday afternoon at the Al Lawson center on the campus of Florida A&M. The match was the second in as many days played at FAMU for the Wildcats after being displaced from Daytona Beach due to the effects of Hurricane Milton.
 
For Bethune-Cookman, the win came courtesy scores of 25-19, 13-25, 25-21 and 25-23.
 
Bethune-Cookman (8-11, 5-2 SWAC) came out strong in the first set, building an early 9-5 lead. Southern battled back to tie the score at 11-11, and then again at 14-all. But the Wildcats regained control courtesy a 7-3 run using kills from Ktyal Price, Jasmine Robinson and Mecca Freeman, respectively. B-CU eventually closed out the set 25-19 on a kill by Niara Hightower.
 
Southern (5-16, 3-4 SWAC) stormed back in the second set, posting a match-high .533 hitting percentage to even the match with a 25-13 win. It was Jaguars outside hitter Jordan Felix registering six kills in the frame while being one of three players to eclipse .500 hitting, individually.
 
The third and fourth sets were tightly contested, with neither team able to build a substantial lead.
 
Bethune-Cookman's balanced attack proved to be the difference, as they edged out Southern 25-21 in the third set, stepping out to a 2-1 lead in the match. Hightower provided three assisted blocks in the frame, while teammate Freeman had two of her own. Southern's Felix once again staked six kills for the Jaguars, but a three-kill set from Freeman on seven swings and zero (0) errors proved valuable for the Maroon and Gold.
 
The fourth set saw eight ties and three lead changes before B-CU eventually grabbed the dramatic late victory.
 
Iyanah Taylor's kill was followed by blocks from teammates Chanelle Smith and Tamara Chavez to give Southern an 18-16 lead late-on. However, a Jags service error and a rare kill from libero Rylee Davis tied the set at 18-18 for the Cats. Once again, Southern would use a kill – this time from Chavez, as well as the blocks combo of Smith and Chavez to push the visitors back to a two-point edge, 20-18.
 
But like before, B-CU immediately capitalized off a Jaguars service error and followed with an Alisha Callender service ace to knot the set at 20-all. Elizabeth Phillips provided a kill for B-CU to make it 21-21, before a Felix attack error put the Cats in front. It was the first lead for B-CU since 16-15.
 
A ballhandling error charged to the Jags allowed the Cats to serve for match point at 24-22, but the set would eventually be closed out two points later with Robinson's kill.
 
Southern's Felix led all players on the night with a match-high 24 kills and 53 attempts. Iyanah Taylor dished out 38 assists, and libero Najah Harris recorded a match-high 20 digs for the Jaguars.
 
For Bethune-Cookman, Freeman led all performers with 10 kills – her third double-digit kills outing of the season. Callender set up the offense with 21 assists and two service aces. Phillips was the spark on defense with 12 digs, followed closely by Davis with 11. Hightower added three blocks. And teammate Price added three (two solo) of her own.
 
The Cats are back in action Friday, Oct. 18, when they travel to Houston, Texas, to face off against SWAC opponent Texas Southern at 2 p.m. ET.
 
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