DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Under the direction of Head Coach Brittany Williams, Bethune-Cookman Volleyball continues working towards the season-opening Bash at the Beach in Daytona Beach, Florida. The Wildcats took part in a two-hour practice Monday afternoon at Moore Gymnasium.
 
The practice is part of the team's preseason training regimen as they gear up for their 2024 campaign.
 
With Williams now in her ninth year in charge of the Wildcats program, Bethune-Cookman focused heavily on refining serve-receive skills during Monday's workout. Williams put the squad through a series of drills designed to improve their ability to handle incoming serves and set up their offensive attack.
 
Setters on the day – including senior Alisha Callender and sophomore newcomer Gianna Mora, worked close to the net with setup off serve-receive.
 
Returning letterwinners junior libero Rylee Davis, junior outside hitter Mecca Freeman and freshman outside hitter Amya Jennings received a number of serves on one side of the net. On the other side, sophomore libero Sydni Poston, junior outside hitter Tiyanna Preston and senior outside hitter Jasmine Robinson received serves as well.
 
B-CU returns nine letterwinners from a season ago, including four starters. Eight newcomers arrive to the fold with four freshmen, one sophomore, two juniors and a senior. Starters back for the Maroon and Gold include SWAC Blocker of the Year Niara Hightower, Ktyal Price, AJ Simmons and Callender, respectively.
 
The Wildcats are looking to build on their performance from last season and make a strong showing in conference play this year in which B-CU earned a spot in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Tournament in Prairie View, Texas.
 
First serve for the 2024 campaign is set for Friday, Aug. 30, when the Cats host Manhattan College to Moore Gym.
 
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