DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Redshirt senior middle blocker Ktyal Price set a new school record for blocks in a single match with 12 on Sunday afternoon as Bethune-Cookman Volleyball defeated Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) foe Alabama State, 3-2 inside Richard V. Moore Gymnasium. The Wildcats won the match on scores of 25-17, 25-27, 25-23, 22-25, 17-15.
 
For Bethune-Cookman, the win over Alabama State was the first of its kind since the Cats joined the SWAC, and the first time defeating the Hornets since Sept. 8, 2010. It was also B-CU Head Coach Brittany Williams' first-ever win over the Hornets.
 
Bethune-Cookman (6-10, 3-1 SWAC) amassed 12 kills as a team in the opening set, while holding the visitors to an even .000 hitting percentage in the frame. Ktyal Price supplied the Wildcats with four kills on five swings, adding an assisted block along the way.
 
Alabama State (5-12, 2-2 SWAC) led 15-11 in the opener until a 5-0 run for the hosts – four coming with senior outside hitter Jasmine Robinson on serve for the Cats, finishing with a block from Price and junior middle blocker Ariel "AJ Simmons, allowing B-CU the 16-15 advantage. Another 5-0 run for the Maroon and Gold, this time courtesy the serve of junior libero Rylee Davis, saw the Cats stretch the lead to 21-16, as Niara Hightower and Simmons laid down kills during the rally, as well as Elizabeth Phillips. Back-to-back attack errors by the Hornets would close the set in favor of B-CU.
 
The second set saw 12 ties and six lead changes before the Hornets claimed a 27-25 overtime win.
 
With the set knotted at 24-all following a Price and Simmons combination block, A'Nylah claimed one of her three kills for the set, while Christyn Ashby delivered one of her team-high four kills in the frame to put the Hornets on top, 26-25. A B-CU attack error eventually allowed the visitors the win in order to even the match at one set apiece.
 
The third set was all about Jasmin Robinson as the Fleming Island, Florida, senior punched four kills, added a service ace and a block (assisted) en route to leading the Wildcats to the 25-23 win.
 
However, the match would go to a decisive fifth set after Alabama State used four kills from Kaylen Hines in the fourth frame, as she also notched a pair of assisted blocks. Zanobia Willis tallied three kills alongside teammate Cobb's three-kill performance in the set to spark the Hornets to the 25-22 win.
 
B-CU hit its best percentage of the match as a team in the fifth set, as the Wildcats delivered 11 kills on 22 attacks, and just two errors, for a .409 clip. ASU was equally effective in the frame with the Hornets hitting .304 – using Ashby's four kills in return.
 
The Wildcats trailed 10-9 after a block from Hines and Jyriah Morgan.
 
A Simmons kill ensued for the Maroon and Gold, followed by an attack error charged to ASU's Morgan, allowing B-CU the 11-10 edge. The two teams traded points from there until a 15-15 tie upon the kill from ASU's Hines. A Simmons kill off the set of freshman setter Nola Hemphill allowed B-CU to serve for the match at 16-15. In the end, a kill from Phillips to the back line would be the decisive shot that saw B-CU win three of its first four matches in league play to begin the conference slate.
 
The Hornets of ASU were aided on the day by a match-high 22 kills from Ashby, followed in double-digit kills by Cobb (11). Setter Kamrynn Clay directed the offense with a match-high 49 assists. Libero Brooke Adams led all players with a match-high 15 digs, while teammates Bailee Payne and Sierra Scanlan also added 12 digs each.
 
For Bethune-Cookman, the kills were provided by three players in double figures, led at the top by Robinson's 15-kill display. Price tallied 13, and Simmons chipped in with 10. Hemphill had a team-high 27 assists, while senior Alisha Callender had 20. Davis led the defense with 13 digs, while Robinson achieved 11 digs to complete her second double-double of the year.
 
Meanwhile, Price had 12 blocks (10 assisted) to surpass Meraiah Hill (11 blocks) and set a new school record for blocks in a single match. The record had stood since 2018 prior to Sunday's play. For Price, that is now her second school record in as many weeks, having also delivered a single match hitting percentage record last weekend away to Mississippi Valley State.
 
Bethune-Cookman is scheduled to face in-state opponent Florida A&M in Tallahassee, Florida, for a SWAC affair Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 6 p.m. However, the threat of oncoming Hurricane Milton could affect the match. Stay tuned to BCUathletics.com for more information as it becomes available.
 
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