GREENSBORO, N.C. – Bethune-Cookman Volleyball begins the 2025 season on the road as the Wildcats take part in the Aggie/Phoenix Invitational co-hosted by Elon and North Carolina A&T in both Greensboro (N.C.) and Elon (N.C.), respectively. Bethune-Cookman will play two matches at Moore Gymnasium on the campus of N.C. A&T, as well as a single match versus Elon inside Schar Center on the Elon campus.
 
MATCH #1: Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at North Carolina A&T Aggies
WHEN: Friday, Aug. 29, at 6 p.m.
WHERE: Moore Gymnasium (Greensboro, N.C.)
WATCH LIVE: FLOCollege
LIVE STATS: Click Here
 
MATCH #2: Bethune-Cookman Wildcats vs. Coppin State Eagles
WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 30, at 1 p.m.
WHERE: Moore Gymnasium (Greensboro, N.C.)
LIVE STATS: Click Here
 
MATCH #3: Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at Elon Phoenix
WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 30, at 6 p.m.
WHERE: Schar Center (Elon, N.C.)
WATCH LIVE: FLOCollege
LIVE STATS: Click Here
 
IN THE RANKINGS
▪ Bethune-Cookman is not ranked in this week's AVCA Division I Coaches Poll Top 25
▪ Coppin State is not ranked in this week's AVCA Division I Coaches Poll Top 25
▪ Elon is not ranked in this week's AVCA Division I Coaches Poll Top 25
▪ North Carolina A&T 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 enters the season picked to finish third in the SWAC Preseason poll as voted on by coaches and sports information directors around the league.
▪ Three Wildcats were tabbed preseason All-SWAC performers in the form of Rylee Davis (LIB), Mecca Freeman (OH) and Ariel Simmons (MB).
▪ Davis ended last season second on the team in digs (231) with an average of 2.16 digs per set. Freeman ended the 2024 season fifth on the B-CU squad with 141 kills (1.70 per set) and pulled in 79 digs to go along with a team third-most 64 blocks (0.77 per set). And it was Simmons accumulating 111 kills and 51 blocks during her junior year.
▪ For the first time since 2022, B-CU is opening the season on the road. Coincidentally, the 2022 season saw the Wildcats open the year in Greensboro, North Carolina, participating in an event co-hosted by North Carolina A&T and UNCG, respectively.
▪ Head Coach Brittany Williams enters the campaign needing just two (2) wins to register 100 career victories as a collegiate head coach.
▪ The fourth-place regular season showing a season ago was B-CU's finest since joining the SWAC in 2021.
▪ In all, the Maroon and Gold return eight letterwinners from a season ago, as well as one libero in the form of Davis. However, just one (1) regular starter is back from the team that finished the 2024 campaign with a record of 15-14 overall.
▪ Bethune-Cookman welcomes nine newcomers to the fold, with the inclusion of graduate transfer Sthefany Carvalho (DS/LIB) from UAlbany, and a native of Brazil.
 
BCU VS. COPPIN STATE SERIES
▪ Bethune-Cookman leads the all-time series against Coppin State, 16-9.
▪ Coppin State has won the last three meetings in the series with one matchup taking place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) back in 2019.
▪ The Wildcats have dropped six of the last 10 meetings, respectfully.
▪ B-CU won 12 consecutive in the series between 1993 and 2006.
 
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
▪ Under the direction of head coach Tim Walsh, Coppin State finished the 2024 campaign with an even 16-16 overall record, and an 11-3 mark in MEAC play, eventually being upset in the semifinals of the MEAC Tournament by No. 3 seed Delaware State.
▪ The Eagles averaged 12.8 kills per set along with 12.1 assists per set as a team. Defensively, the Eagles reeled in 14.4 digs per set.
▪ TaKenya Stafford returns as the leader in kills from a season ago having registered 416 (3.59 k/s) and hitting at a .241 percent clip. She was also second on the team in digs with 323 (2.78 dig/s).
▪ Alongside Stafford, libero/defensive specialist Coco Figueroa was named to the Preseason All-MEAC Team.
▪ Figueroa led the team with 436 digs (3.82 dig/s) a season ago.
 
BCU VS. ELON SERIES
▪ Bethune-Cookman and Elon have met just once in volleyball, as the Wildcats claimed a 3-0 win over the Phoenix back on August 31, 2002, in Troy, Alabama.
 
SCOUTING THE PHOENIX
▪ Elon named Matt Troy as head coach back on December 19, 2024, after spending six seasons at the helm of the Johns Hopkins volleyball program.
▪ Three players – Cameron Lanier, Caroline Berlekamp and Catherine Rucker, were all named to the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) all-conference team.
▪ From the outside hitter position, Lanier led the squad in kills with 245 and kills per set (2.72) with a .236 attack percentage. Meanwhile, Berlekamp recorded 128 kills last season while leading the team with 19 solo blocks and 101 total blocks, averaging 0.96 blocks per set.
▪ Rucker posted a .330 attack percentage and finished third on the squad with 57 blocks, averaging 0.84 per set.
▪ Casey Brower is the leading digs performer returning, having finished fourth on the team last year with 124 digs (1.32 dig/s).
 
BCU VS. NORTH CAROLINA A&T SERIES
▪ North Carolina A&T leads the all-time series between the two schools by a 36-25 count dating back to 1987.
▪ The Aggies have won the last three dating back to 2019 when both schools were members of the MEAC.
▪ B-CU has lost the last three matches in Greensboro, North Carolina.
▪ The two teams have split the last 10 meetings, with each team winning five, respectfully.
 
SCOUTING THE AGGIES
▪ North Carolina A&T finished the 2024 campaign with a record of 17-11 overall, and a 12-6 mark in the CAA.
▪ Sophomore outside hitter Tyne Ross was voted CAA Preseason Player of the Year, while junior setter Leonor Polezzi was voted honorable mention.
▪ Ross registered 425 kills (4.34 k/s) a season ago, as well as hitting .244 and 204 digs (2.08 dig/s).
▪ Polezzi had 951 assists (9.61 a/s) and a team-leading 43 service aces (0.43 sa/s) to lead the Aggies in both categories.
▪ Libero Valeria Estrada, a junior from Coama, Puerto Rico, returns to headline the defensive efforts after turning in a team-high 342 digs (3.56 dig/s) across the 2024 campaign.
 
A QUICK LOOK AT THE CATS
2025 Record – 0-0 (.000) // 2025 SWAC Record – 0-0 (.000) // Last 5 Matches – 2-3 (.400) // Last 10 Matches – 3-7 (.300) // Last 15 Matches – 11-4 (.733) // Britteny Williams is two wins away from 100 career victories as a collegiate head coach.
 
UP NEXT
Bethune-Cookman continues season-opening road swing as the Wildcats travel to Houston, Texas for the Molly Howard-Gerwig Memorial Tournament hosted by St. Thomas (Texas). The tournament takes place September 5-6.
 
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