NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Bethune-Cookman Volleyball returns to the road this weekend as the Wildcats travel to the Tiger Invitational hosted by Tennessee State in Nashville, Tennessee. The two-day event begins Friday, Sept. 13, with all matches taking place inside Kean Hall on the TSU campus.
 
MATCH #7: Bethune-Cookman Wildcats vs. vs. South Carolina State Bulldogs
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 13, at 4 p.m. ET
WHERE: Kean Hall (Nashville, Tenn.)
LIVE STATS: Click Here
 
MATCH #8: Bethune-Cookman Wildcats vs. Georgia State Panthers
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 14, at 1 p.m. ET
WHERE: Kean Hall (Nashville, Tenn.)
LIVE STATS: Click Here
 
MATCH #9: Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at Tennessee State Tigers
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m. ET
WHERE: Kean Hall (Nashville, Tenn.)
LIVE STATS: Click Here
 
IN THE RANKINGS
▪ Bethune-Cookman is not ranked in this week's AVCA Division I Coaches Poll Top 25
▪ Georgia State is not ranked in this week's AVCA Division I Coaches Poll Top 25
▪ South Carolina State is not ranked in this week's AVCA Division I Coaches Poll Top 25
▪ Tennessee State is not ranked in this week's AVCA Division I Coaches Poll Top 25
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Keep up with everything Bethune-Cookman Volleyball this year by following the Wildcats on all their social media platforms. You can follow @BCUVolleyball on Instagram and @BCUVolleyball on Twitter.
 
NEWS & NOTES
▪ Bethune-Cookman assistant coach Rachel Henderson is an alumnus of Tennessee State, having played for Big Blue for 2017 and 2018.
▪ Bethune-Cookman has accumulated two wins thus far, accounting for the most through the first two tournaments of a season since 2019.
▪ This is B-CU's first trip to a tournament hosted by Tennessee State since 2022, where the Cats faced teams from Belmont, North Alabama and host TSU.
▪ Niara Hightower and Elizabeth Phillips were named to the ORU Classic all-tournament team last weekend.
▪ Phillips turned in 18 kills across three matches for the Wildcats, adding 18 digs and three blocks (all assisted) along the way.
▪ For the second consecutive week, Hightower placed herself on an all-tournament team with 15 kills and 15 blocks.
▪ Freshman outside hitter Amya Jennings enjoyed a breakout performance in Tulsa, Oklahoma, last weekend, as the Minnesota native registered her first career double-double of 10 kills and 12 digs in a 3-1 win over host Oral Roberts.
▪ Alisha Callender leads the Maroon and Gold with 109 assists, followed closely by freshman Nola Hemphill with 107 assists under her belt.
▪ Defensively, junior libero Rylee Davis tallied back-to-back double-digit digs matches last weekend with 14 against Sam Houston State, as well as 13 in the win over ORU.
 
BCU VS. S.C. STATE SERIES
▪ Bethune-Cookman leads the all-time series against South Carolina State by a commanding 36-16 advantage.
▪ The two teams have not met since B-CU was a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in 2019.
▪ The Cats have won the last 13 meetings between the two sides, dating back to a 3-0 decision in 2013.
▪ This will be the first neutral site match between B-CU and SCSU since Sept. 27, 1996, when the teams faced off in Tallahassee, Florida.
▪ Before the current 13-match winning streak for B-CU, the Cats had lost seven consecutive to the Bulldogs from 2010 until 2013.
 
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
▪ South Carolina State comes into the weekend 0-3 on the year with losses in their only other tournament of the campaign – the Alabama State Invitational in Montgomery, Alabama, on August 30-31.
▪ The Bulldogs are led in kills by Hailey Harris (24) and Xaria Pickett (23).
▪ Setter Kaia Barnett charges the offensive attack with 68 assists, also accounting for three service aces on the year.
▪ The front line is headed up by Harris with a team-leading 10 blocks.
▪ Meanwhile, Trinity Stevenson owns 41 digs, followed by Kiyah Felder with 33 digs for the Bulldogs.
▪ SCSU's losses came against Nicholls State, Alabama State and Louisiana-Monroe, respectively.
 
BCU VS. GEORGIA STATE SERIES
▪ Georgia State has won the only two previous meetings against Bethune-Cookman.
▪ The series began with a 3-0 setback for the Wildcats in Daytona Beach (2002), with the last meetings being a 3-2 B-CU setback in Jacksonville, Florida.
 
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
▪ Georgia State arrives to the Tiger Invitational with a 4-2 record with their only losses coming to Indiana State and South Dakota State, respectfully.
▪ Two Panthers have registered 50 or more already on the year – Alessia Cappai (56) and Keionna Mackey (54).
▪ Georgia State uses two setters for the offensive attack, including Patrycja Zielinska who tops the squad with 105 assists. Shanelle Martinez is just behind Zielinska with 99 assists.
▪ Zielinska also leads the team with 11 service aces, as the Panthers have recorded 35 altogether on the year.
▪ Kaleigh Fitzgerald leads the defensive efforts with 64 digs (4.00 dig/s) at the libero position.
▪ The Panthers have tallied 41 blocks as a team, highlighted at the top by Kayla Broom (13) and Akira Burt (9).
 
BCU VS. TENNESSEE STATE SERIES
▪ In what has been a short series between the two schools, Tennessee State has won both previous meetings against the Wildcats, respectfully.
▪ The last time the two teams met was a 3-0 Tennessee State decision in Nashville on Sept. 16, 2022.
▪ TSU's first win was a 3-0 count in 2003 at a tournament in Troy, Alabama.
 
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
▪ Tennessee State enters the weekend with an 0-5 record, after the Tigers have competed at tournaments in Tucson, Arizona, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, respectively.
▪ Two players top TSU in kills, as Jayla Holcombe and Celestial Miller have each recorded 44 on the season through the first five matches.
▪ Two setters pace the offense for the Tigers as Janke Pretorius (86 assists) and Sagaia Reilly (62 assists) serve as the setters in the two-set system.
▪ Three blockers have recorded double-digit blockers on the year – Maygan Miller-Garcia (20), Storm White (12) and Jayla Holcombe (12).
▪ The Tigers suffered a tough five-set loss away to Chattanooga in their opening match of last weekend's Chattanooga Classic. They also lost to crosstown opponent Belmont that same day.
 
A QUICK LOOK AT THE CATS
2024 Record – 2-4 (.333) // 2024 SWAC Record – 0-0 (.000) // Last 5 Matches – 1-4 (.200) // Last 10 Matches – 3-7 (.300) // Last 15 Matches – 6-9 (.400) // Bethune-Cookman is taking on South Carolina State for the first time since departing the MEAC for the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
 
UP NEXT
Bethune-Cookman returns to the "Sunshine State" traveling north to Jacksonville, Florida, for three matches at Jacksonville University against teams from Columbia, The Citadel and Jacksonville, respectfully. The Cats take on Columbia and The Citadel on Friday, Sept. 20, before facing JU the following afternoon.
 
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