DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Niara Hightower registered her 100th block of the season and the 300th of her career Sunday afternoon as Bethune-Cookman defeated Grambling State 3-1 in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Volleyball action at Richard V. Moore Gymnasium. The Wildcats took the match with scores of 25-23, 25-18, 30-32, 25-18.
 
Bethune-Cookman (12-11, 9-2 SWAC) trailed 21-19 in the opening frame until back-to-back Niara Hightower and Mecca Freeman blocks, added a service ace from Alisha Callender put the cats on top, 23-21. Elizabeth Phillips laid down a kill to give B-CU the 25-23 win.
 
In the second set, the Cats hit .278 as a team, while holding Grambling State (7-14, 4-6 SWAC) to just a .114 clip.
 
Hightower collected three kills in the set to go along with three blocks. Four other B-CU players tallied two kills each in the frame as the cats had 13 kills and just three errors on 36 total attempts in the set.
 
Grambling State erased a 23-19 B-CU advantage beginning with three Essence Allen kills to knot the set at 24-24. Five times down the stretch B-CU served for the match, but it would be the Tigers' Allen and a host of Wildcats errors allowing GSU to eventually claim a 31-30 edge. An Ana Zink service ace closed the set for the Tigers.
 
The fourth set saw B-CU use four kills from Hightower and Phillips while holding the visitors to just .000 hitting en route to the 25-18 win.
 
GSU was paced by Allen with a match-high 21 kills and 19 digs for the double-double. Zink supplied her side with 19 assists. And it was Dylan Hoskins picking up a match-high 30 digs for the Tigers.
 
As for B-CU, the Cats were led on the day by Robinson and Phillips with 15 kills each. They each had a double-double as well with Robinson securing 23 digs and Phillips 14. Callender handed out 30 assists with 12 digs. Hightower had nine digs (seven assisted) with 10 kills. Nola Hemphill added 20 assists and 13 digs. Rylee Davis also had 14 digs and Sydni Poston 12.
 
Bethune-Cookman is back in action Friday, Nov. 1, when the Cats travel to Alabama A&M.
 
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