Bethune-Cookman University Athletics

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Wildcats completed day one of the Playa Bowls Invitational Friday, earning a doubleheader split at Buccaneer Arena. B-CU dropped the opener to Cal State Fullerton, 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-23), before bouncing back to take down the Citadel, 3-1 (25-22, 23-25, 26-24, 25-6).

Game 1: Cal State Fullerton 3, B-CU 1
The Titans (4-4) got off to a strong start against the Wildcats (2-5) during the first set, jumping out to a 10-5 after a kill by Hannah Hass. From there, they were able to maintain a comfortable lead to win the set 25-16.

B-CU hung tough early in set two, taking a 6-4 lead after two straight attack errors by the Titans. The two teams would continue to go back and forth and would eventually tie the score at 10 apiece. The Titans then went on a run of five straight points to gain separation.

Set three was tightly contested throughout. The Titans manufactured a 6-0 run to take a 13-9 lead. But the Wildcats slowly clawed their way back, cutting the deficit to just one at 22-23. Bella Rising would ultimately seal the game for Fullerton, grabbing the last two kills to finish out the sweep.

Game 2: B-CU 3, The Citadel 1
In game two, it was the Wildcats who got off to a fast start. A 4-0 and a 5-0 run allowed B-CU to generate a 15-6 lead in the first set. But the Bulldogs (2-6) had a strong run of their own, scoring 10 of the next 11 points to even the score at 16.

The two teams continued to go back and forth until the Wildcats jumped ahead to take the set. Kills by Leila Hargrove and Nola Hemphill were crucial in helping B-CU hold on.

In set two, the Wildcats went on a 6-0 scoring run to take a 20-16 lead. They would extend it to 23-18 after a Bulldog attack error. The Wildcats were unable to close out the set though, as the Citadel would score the final seven points to even the game at one set apiece.

Set three was tightly contested, with each team trading narrow leads throughout. After a 5-0 run gave the Citadel a 21-19 lead, the Wildcats would outscore the Bulldogs 7-3 the rest of the way. Kills by Alayah Rhodes and Kaleigh Williams helped B-CU take the pivotal third set.

The final set was a dominant performance from the Wildcats. B-CU took a 5-1 lead and never looked back, outscoring the Bulldogs 25-6 to close out the win.

• Laura Lino dos Santos led the way with 16 kills and 24 digs in the two matches.
• Nola Hemphill collected a team-high 27 assists on Friday.
• Three Wildcats finished with three blocks (Williams, Lawrence, Pennie) in the win over the Bulldogs.
• B-CU hit .130 against the Citadel and .030 against Cal State Fullerton.