MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. — Fayetteville State capped a perfect weekend at the Mount Olive Pickle Invitational with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Mount Olive on Saturday night at Kornegay Arena, improving to 3-0 on the season.
The Broncos rallied for a five-set win, 25-18, 24-26, 25-23, 24-26, 15-11, to complete an unbeaten run through the tournament. Fayetteville State finished with 61 kills, 97 digs, nine service aces and 12 team blocks in the victory.
Leticia Neves Nascimento and
Mya Hejl led the Broncos' attack with 13 and 11 kills, respectively. Hejl added six block assists, while
Aolani Cannon chipped in eight kills on an efficient .471 hitting percentage and five block assists.
The Broncos showcased balanced play throughout the match.
Melissa Gonzalez posted a double-double with 20 assists, 22 digs and a match-high four service aces, while
Giovanna Teixeira contributed 16 assists, 12 digs and four kills.
Jasmine Culp anchored the defense with a team-high 26 digs and added 10 assists.
Kemyah Harris added 11 kills and three total blocks, while
Kyla Powell contributed nine kills for Fayetteville State.
After splitting the first four sets, the Broncos seized control of the decisive fifth frame. Fayetteville State jumped out to a 7-1 lead behind kills from Harris, Neves Nascimento and Powell. Mount Olive narrowed the deficit to 12-11, but the Broncos responded with three of the final four points, including a block and a match-clinching kill from Harris to secure the victory.
Mount Olive was led by Olivia Melvin with 12 kills, while Landis Kaitlyn, Naomi Hill and Kaitlyn Koel each finished with nine kills.
With the win, Fayetteville State improved to 3-0 overall and completed a successful opening weekend heading into the next stretch of its 2026 campaign.
