Bethune-Cookman University Athletics

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman fought hard but came up short against Stetson 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-22) during the team's first game at Moore Gymnasium.

The Wildcats (1-3) came out strong in the opening set, building an early 5-1 advantage behind a pair of kills from Kaleigh Williams and a service ace. Stetson (2-2) responded with a 6-0 run to take a 9-6 lead, but Bethune-Cookman continued to battle and eventually reclaimed a 14-13 advantage following a kill from Williams.

The Hatters regained control late in the opening frame, taking a 19-16 lead before the Wildcats rallied to pull within one at 21-20. B-CU closed within 24-22, but Stetson finished the set with a kill to take a 1-0 match lead.

B-CU again established an early lead in the second set, taking a 5-4 advantage before extending it to 10-5 behind a strong serving run from Alaya Rhodes. The Wildcats maintained a five-point cushion at 11-6 before Stetson answered with a 7-0 run to take a 12-11 lead.

The two teams traded points throughout the middle portion of the set, with B-CU tying the score at 13-13. Stetson then used another three-point run to take a 16-13 advantage and gradually extended its lead. The Wildcats cut the deficit to 20-18, but the Hatters scored five of the final seven points to secure the set and take a 2-0 lead.

Stetson carried the momentum into the third set, jumping ahead 6-3 before B-CU answered. The Wildcats pulled even at 9-9 following a kill from Moriah Johnson, but the Hatters responded with a 5-0 run to take a 14-9 advantage.

Bethune-Cookman refused to go quietly, using a pair of kills from Rhodes and back-to-back service aces from Rhodes to erase the deficit and tie the set at 20-20. Stetson regained the lead at 22-20, however, and closed out the match with a 25-22 third-set victory.

• The Wildcats recorded 39 kills on 115 attacks and hit .157 as a team.
• Bethune-Cookman recorded 3.0 total team blocks.
• The Wildcats hit .267 in the third set, their best attacking percentage of the match.
• Moriah Johnson led Bethune-Cookman with 10 kills.
• Kaleigh Williams finished with seven kills and hit .462, recording seven kills on 13 attacks with just one error.
• Alaya Rhodes and Sydnee Rodriguez each added six kills.
• Kylynn White and Nola Hemphill each recorded 15 assists.
• Stetson's Karsu Bayraktar led all players with 18 kills and hit .389.
• Vanessa Shevchenko added 17 kills for the Hatters, while Andrea Diaz Dominguez finished with eight kills.
• Stetson finished with 4.0 total team blocks and hit .189 as a team.