BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Fayetteville St. overcame a first-set setback and won three straight sets to defeat Bluefield St., 3-1 (20-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-22), Monday evening at Ned Shott Gymnasium. The victory improved the Broncos to 22-4 overall and 19-3 in CIAA play, while the Big Blues fell to 14-16 overall and 9-12 in conference action.
After dropping the opening set 25-20, the Broncos responded with a strong second frame, using timely serving and defense to even the match with a 25-18 win. Fayetteville State continued its momentum in a tightly contested third set, pulling away late for a 25-22 victory before closing out the match with another 25-22 win in the fourth set.
Fayetteville St. was led by Kyla Powell, who recorded a match-high 13 kills while adding five total blocks and posting a .281 hitting percentage. Kemyah Harris contributed 10 kills, while Amori Johnson added six kills and four blocks. Mya Hejl finished with five kills and a team-best eight block assists.
The Broncos' offense was orchestrated by setters Giovanna Teixeira and Melissa Gonzalez, who combined for 38 assists. Teixeira dished out 23 assists, while Gonzalez added 15 assists and three service aces.
Defensively, Jasmine Culp anchored the back row with a match-high 20 digs and three service aces. Nicolette Connell added 11 digs, while Gonzalez and Teixeira chipped in six digs apiece.
For Bluefield St., Soniya Garner led the way with nine kills and 14 digs, while Jada Burns finished with seven kills. Mekenna Scott and Tessa Heffner combined for 37 assists as the Big Blues totaled 39 kills on the night.
As a team, the Broncos held advantages in kills (49-39), digs (51-47), blocks (12-8), and service aces (7-4) while extending their winning streak to 10 matches.
Fayetteville St. returns home Thursday for Senior Night against Winston-Salem State in its final regular-season match before heading to the CIAA Volleyball Championship.
