FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Fayetteville State continued its strong start to conference play Monday night, using a balanced offensive attack and timely serving to sweep Claflin 3-0 inside Felton J. Capel Arena.
The Broncos took the match by scores of 25-21, 25-17 and 25-18, improving to 6-1 overall and a perfect 3-0 in CIAA play. Claflin fell to 7-7 overall and 1-2 in the conference. The match drew 1,895 fans to Capel Arena.
Mya Hejl powered Fayetteville State's offense with a match-high 11 kills while hitting .400. She also contributed four digs and three total blocks, finishing with a match-best 13 points.
Kemyah Harris added seven kills,
Kyla Powell finished with six and
McKenna Miller contributed five as the Broncos produced 43 kills on the night.
Fayetteville State also distributed the ball effectively.
Melissa Gonzalez finished with a team-high 16 assists to go along with two kills and a service ace, while
Giovanna Teixeira added 13 assists, nine digs and a match-high three aces.
Nicolette Connell provided an all-around effort with 10 digs, five assists and two service aces.
The opening set was the tightest of the night. After the teams battled through a 17-17 tie, Fayetteville State moved back in front and never surrendered the lead. The Broncos held a narrow 22-21 advantage before Powell delivered a kill, and Fayetteville State scored the final two points to close out the set 25-21.
Fayetteville State began to take control in the second. After Claflin held an early 7-6 advantage, the Broncos put together a run and built a 13-8 lead. FSU later stretched the margin to 22-15 before Hejl finished the frame with a kill for a 25-17 victory. The Broncos held Claflin to just five kills and a .000 hitting percentage in the set.
Claflin challenged again early in the third, taking a 10-7 advantage before Fayetteville State responded. The Broncos pulled even at 11-11 and then used a strong service run from Teixeira, which included back-to-back aces, to surge ahead 16-12. Fayetteville State continued to build separation, eventually reaching match point at 24-15. After the Panthers fought off three match points, Powell ended the night with a kill to secure the 25-18 set and the sweep.
For Claflin, Zaniya Harris led the Panthers with six kills and added seven digs and three total blocks. Aryanna Connell and Monica Burns each recorded four kills, while Abigail Watts led all players with 15 digs. Joi Tinsley recorded a team-high nine assists.
With the straight-set victory, Fayetteville State remains unbeaten through its first three CIAA contests and improves to 6-1 overall as the Broncos continue building momentum in conference play.
The Broncos will return to action Friday, Oct. 2 through Sunday, Oct. 4, when they travel to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for the CIAA Round-Up. Fans can follow Fayetteville State volleyball throughout the season at fsubroncos.com and on social media @FSUBroncos for the latest news, scores and updates.
