CHARLESTON, S.C. – Non-conference play continues for B-CU volleyball this weekend as the Cats make the trip to Charleston, South Carolina for the Playa Bowls Invitational. The Wildcats will play three games at Buccaneer Fieldhouse during the event, beginning Friday at 1 p.m. against Cal State Fullerton. They will then face the Citadel at 4 and close out the tournament against host Charleston Southern on Saturday.


 
MATCH #1: Bethune-Cookman Wildcats vs. Cal State Fullerton Titans
WHEN: Friday, Sep. 11 at 1 p.m.
WHERE: Buccaneer Fieldhouse (Charleston, S.C.)
LIVE STATS: Click here
 
MATCH #2: Bethune-Cookman Wildcats vs The Citadel Bulldogs
WHEN: Friday, Sep. 11, at 4 p.m.
WHERE: Buccaneer Fieldhouse (Charleston, S.C.)
LIVE STATS: Click here
 
MATCH #3: Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at Charleston Southern Buccaneers
WHEN: Saturday, Sep. 12, at 2 p.m.
WHERE: Buccaneer Fieldhouse (Charleston, S.C.)
WATCH: Click here
LIVE STATS: Click here

 

The Wildcats struggled to find their rhythm early, as Stetson opened the match with a 7-1 run in the first set. Bethune-Cookman answered with a 5-0 run midway through the frame, cutting the deficit to 11-6 behind an ace from Alaya Rhodes and a pair of Stetson attack errors. The Hatters, however, maintained control throughout the remainder of the set and took the opening frame, 25-18.

Stetson carried its momentum into the second set, jumping out to an 11-2 advantage. Bethune-Cookman managed to cut the deficit to 15-9 after three consecutive kills from Moriah Johnson, but the Hatters responded with another strong stretch to take a 22-13 lead. Stetson closed out the set, 25-18, to take a 2-0 match advantage.

Facing a two-set deficit, the Wildcats came alive in the third set. Bethune-Cookman and Stetson traded points early before the Wildcats used a 5-0 run to turn an 8-7 deficit into a 12-8 advantage. Johnson and Rhodes combined for several key kills during the stretch, while Kaleigh Williams added a pair of kills as B-CU extended its lead to 17-12.

The Hatters attempted to rally late, pulling within 20-17, but Bethune-Cookman answered with kills from Rhodes and Johnson to maintain its advantage. Johnson delivered the final point of the set with a kill from Kylynn White, giving the Wildcats a 25-20 win and forcing a fourth set.

Stetson regained control in the fourth set, opening the frame with a 7-2 advantage. Bethune-Cookman continued to battle, trimming the deficit to 9-5 before the Hatters gradually extended their lead.

The Wildcats remained within striking distance at 15-9, but Stetson used a 7-0 run to take a commanding 22-9 advantage. Bethune-Cookman fought off multiple match points and scored four consecutive points to make it 24-11, but the Hatters eventually closed out the match, 25-18.

Cal State Fullerton
The Titans have gotten off to a 2-4 start this season after being chosen to finish 11th out of 12 teams in the Big West Preseason Poll. Fullerton picked up neutral site wins over Eastern Washington and McNeese while losing contests to Sam Houston, Miami (OH), Gonzaga, and Oral Roberts.

The leader for the Titans offensively this season has been freshman Bella Risling who has collected a team-high 66 kills. Sofia Shine and Marisa Nakata follow closely behind her with 52 and 41, respectively. Overall, Fullerton is hitting just .135 as a team with 142 errors.

Libero Kaieva Christensen holds the team lead with 73 digs, averaging just under 3.5 per set. Hannah Hass and Emilia Graham have served as the squad's top blockers with a combined 23.0 total blocks.

This will be the first ever matchup between the Wildcats and Titans.

The Citadel
The Bulldogs are also 2-4 on the year and were picked 10th out of 10 in the Southern Conference Preseason Poll. Their resume includes wins over South Carolina State and LeMoyne and losses to Charleston Southern, College of Charleston, UNCW, and Kennesaw State.

Rachel Reininger leads the Bulldogs with 75 kills through six games. The junior had an excellent performance against Wilmington, finishing with a season-high 20 kills and five digs. As a team, the Citadel is hitting .165 and have accumulated 127 errors.

Defensively, Jess Martin is the team's leader with 79 digs, averaging 3.95 per set with a strong .925 reception percentage. Elizabeth Miller and Luci Lippelgoos are tops on the team with 15.0 and 10.0 blocks, respectively.

Bethune-Cookman has faced the Citadel 12 previous times during the history of the program. The Bulldogs hold the edge in the series with wins in eight of the contests. They last faced in 2024.

Charleston Southern
The host Buccaneers are 5-3 through eight games and were voted to finish fourth in the Big South. They recently took down the Citadel in three sets and have also earned wins over South Carolina State, Butler, and Western Carolina.

Faith Burch has been a consistent force for the Bucs early in the season. She leads the team with 86 kills, averaging 3.31 per set and hitting an excellent .333. Brynn Minter is another player to watch, sitting closely behind her teammate with 75 kills of her own. The Buccaneers have hit .217 as a team this season.

On the defensive side, Presley Morris has collected a team-high 104 digs, with an excellent average of 4.00 per set. The freshman Minter is also the team's leader in blocks with 16.0 total.

The Wildcats will be searching for its first ever win against Charleston Southern. The Buccaneers are 3-0 all time in the series.


 
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