GREENSBORO, N.C. – Senior middle blocker Ariel Simmons had a team-high 11 kills, while freshman Kaleigh Williams tallied nine kills and two blocks Friday evening, as Bethune-Cookman fell to North Carolina A&T 3-1 at Corbett Sports Center in the opening match of the Aggie/Phoenix Invitational. The Aggies took the match on scores of 12-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-11.
 
Bethune-Cookman (0-1) controlled the first set after a slow start, using a dominant service game to build an insurmountable lead. Freshman setter Melissa Gonzalez sparked the scoring with her serve, delivering three aces in a run that transformed a 6-4 deficit into a commanding 12-6 advantage.
 
Gonzalez's service prowess was the story of the opening set, as she recorded three aces while serving nine consecutive points during Bethune-Cookman's decisive 6-0 run. Her first ace tied the match at 6-6, and she followed with another ace that forced North Carolina A&T (1-0) to call timeout trailing, 9-6. The Miami Gardens, Florida native later recorded her third ace to close the set at 25-12. The Wildcats received balanced offensive contributions in the opener, with Ariel "AJ" Simmons leading the attack with three kills on six attempts. Kaleigh Williams and Tiyanna Preston each added two kills, while setter Nola Hemphill orchestrated the offense with 11 assists.
 
The Aggies responded to knot the match with a second set victory behind a balanced offensive attack led by CAA Preseason Player of the Year Tyne Ross, who recorded eight kills on 16 attempts for a .438 hitting percentage. Ross was supported by Mikala Sampson (five kills) and Leonor Polezzi, who distributed 27 assists while adding three kills of her own.
 
N.C. A&T established early control, jumping out to a 4-1 lead behind three consecutive kills from Ross, all set up by Polezzi. The Aggies maintained their advantage despite Bethune-Cookman's efforts to stay within striking distance.
The Wildcats tied the match at 4-4 following a bad set by Polezzi, but N.C. A&T quickly regained control. A service ace by Ross and several Bethune-Cookman attack errors helped the Aggies build a 7-4 advantage.
 
B-CU showed resilience midway through the set, closing to within 8-7 after a service ace by Rylee Davis. The Wildcats even briefly took a 9-8 lead following an attack error by N.C. A&T's Lili Radnai.
 
However, the Aggies regained the lead at 10-9 and never trailed again, using a combination of kills from multiple attackers and timely defensive plays to maintain their advantage. The turning point came with N.C. A&T leading 13-10, prompting Bethune-Cookman to call timeout. The Aggies extended their lead to 17-13 behind kills from Luca Radnai and continued strong play from Ross.
 
The Cats made one final push, cutting the deficit to 18-16 after a kill by Williams. The Aggies finished the final five points with contributions from multiple players. Radnai delivered a crucial service ace to make it 23-18, and the set concluded with Simmons' attack being blocked by Ross and Radnai for the 25-19 victory.
 
In the third set, B-CU used sophomore setter Hemphill and the attacking prowess of classmate Amya Jennings, who recorded back-to-back kills to open the set. Simmons added two more kills as the Wildcats built a 7-2 advantage that forced a North Carolina A&T timeout.
 
The Aggies responded immediately out of the break, with Ross delivering a kill assisted by Radnai to spark the comeback. N.C. A&T methodically chipped away at the deficit through a combination of B-CU attack errors and timely kills from Mikala Sampson, who came off the bench to provide an offensive spark. The pivotal moment came with the score tied 8-8. Zariah Winton, another key substitute, served during a crucial 4-0 run that put the Aggies ahead 14-10. Ross continued to find success at the net, recording multiple kills assisted by Polezzi.
 
The Wildcats mounted a late surge, cutting the deficit to 20-17 behind kills from Williams and a service ace from Gonzalez. However, N.C. A&T maintained its composure down the stretch, with Ross delivering the match-clinching kill assisted by Polezzi.
 
Ross led all players with six kills on 14 attempts for a .214 attack percentage, while Polezzi distributed 25 assists to give the Aggies a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
The fourth set saw B-CU amass just kills on while also committing six errors, while N.C. A&T countered with its best hitting performance of the night. The Aggies registered 16 kills against just one error in the final set, allowing the hosts to hit .429 for the frame.
 
On the night, the Aggies were led offensively by Ross with 20 kills, followed by Sampson with 11. Polezzi ended with 38 assists, and libero Valeria Estrada concluded with a team-high 12 digs.
 
For the Cats, Simmons amassed 11 kills. Williams provided nine on 16 swings, adding two assisted blocks. Hemphill provided 23 assists, and it was Gonzalez recording 13 of her own. Gonzalez also concluded the match with five service aces. Playing in her first game as a Wildcat, libero Sthefany Carvalho pulled in a match-high 15 digs.
 
B-CU looks to respond in its next match Saturday, Aug. 30, as the Wildcats take on Coppin State at 1 p.m., back inside Corbett Sports Center on the N.C. A&T campus.
 
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