FAYETTEVILLE, NC – Pepsi Player of the Game
Mya Hejl delivered a dominant offensive performance as Fayetteville State opened its home schedule with a 3-0 sweep of Livingstone on Thursday night inside Felton J. Capel Arena.
The Broncos won 25-17, 25-13, 25-20 to improve to 5-1 overall and remain unbeaten in CIAA play at 2-0. Livingstone fell to 8-3 overall and 1-1 in the conference.
Hejl led the Broncos with 12 kills on 17 attacks, finishing with a .706 hitting percentage.
Kemyah Harris added six kills on nine attempts for a .667 hitting percentage, while
McKenna Miller finished with four kills.
Melissa Gonzalez directed the offense with a match-high 18 assists and added an ace, while
Giovanna Teixeira contributed nine assists.
Tione Freeman led the Broncos defensively with eight digs, and
Jasmine Culp recorded seven digs and an ace.
Nicolette Connell added two of Fayetteville State's four service aces.
After falling behind 7-4 in the opening set, Fayetteville State found its rhythm. The Broncos pulled even at 7 before taking their first lead at 8-7. With the score tied at 14, FSU created separation with a 6-1 run to take a 20-15 advantage. The Broncos closed the set 25-17 behind 12 kills and a .278 hitting percentage.
Fayetteville State carried the momentum into the second set, jumping ahead 3-0 and never trailing. The Broncos stretched an 8-7 advantage into a commanding 15-8 lead, with Hejl contributing multiple kills during the run. FSU later used another surge to extend the margin to 20-9 before Harris finished the 25-13 victory with a kill.
Livingstone challenged the Broncos early in the third set and built a 15-7 advantage, threatening to extend the match. Fayetteville State responded with a steady comeback. The Broncos trimmed the deficit to 19-18 before consecutive Livingstone attack errors gave FSU its first lead of the set at 20-19.
After Livingstone pulled within 21-20, Fayetteville State scored the final four points. Hejl sparked the closing stretch with a kill, followed by kills from
Amori Johnson and
Leticia Neves Nascimento. Hejl then put away the final point to complete the comeback and the sweep, 25-20.
Livingstone was led offensively by Oliwia Jaroszewicz, who recorded 10 kills on 34 attempts. Justyce McKennie finished with 14 assists and seven digs, while Tialofa Alofipo recorded three service aces and five digs.
Fayetteville State will remain home for its next CIAA matchup, hosting Claflin on Monday, Sept. 28, at 6 p.m. inside Felton J. Capel Arena. Fans can follow @fsubroncos on social media or visit fsubroncos.com for the latest news, updates and information on Bronco Athletics.
