PETERSBURG, VA — The Winston-Salem State University women's volleyball team (11-9, 7-6 CIAA) competed in the opening day of the 2026 CIAA Round-Up #2 on Friday, falling to Shaw University 3-1 (19-25, 25-23, 23-25, 17-25) before dropping a five-set match to Elizabeth City State University 3-2 (20-25, 20-25, 25-21, 25-17, 10-15).
The Rams finished the opening day of CIAA Round-Up #2, hosted by Virginia State University, with an 0-2 record.
GAME ONE | Shaw, 3 - Winston-Salem State, 1
WSSU opened the day against Shaw, finishing with a .191 hitting percentage while the Lady Bears hit .224. The Rams won the second set but could not overcome Shaw's late rallies in the third and fourth sets.
SET 1 | Shaw used an eight-point run after trailing 13-11 to build a 21-11 advantage. The Rams responded with kills from
Aria Caldwell,
Kamiyah Wilson,
Tehani Moniz and
Jewel Pitt, along with a Caldwell service ace, to cut the deficit to 22-19. Shaw scored the final three points to take the set 25-19.
SET 2 | The Rams created late separation with a block from
Zoe Chesson and Caldwell, followed by a Caldwell service ace, to move ahead 23-20. After Shaw pulled within one at 24-23, Moniz finished a set from
Celina Johnson to secure the 25-23 victory and even the match.
SET 3 | WSSU battled back to tie the set at 22-22 on a kill by
Holiday Ellis from Johnson. The Rams answered again at 23-23 on a Chesson kill, but Shaw recorded the final two points to take the set 25-23.
SET 4 | After falling behind 8-2, the Rams used kills from
Sarah Sanders and Wilson, along with Shaw attack errors, to close the gap to 14-12. An Ellis kill and another Shaw error brought WSSU within 15-14, but the Lady Bears responded with a late run to secure the set 25-17 and the match.
Top Performers vs. Shaw
- Holiday Ellis: 10 kills, 21 digs, 2 block assists, 1 service ace
- Celina Johnson: 32 assists, 2 kills, 3 digs
- Zoe Chesson: 10 kills, .450 hitting percentage, 3 total blocks, 12 points
- Aria Caldwell: 4 kills, 14 digs, 2 service aces, 2 block assists
- Kamiyah Wilson: 8 kills, 1 service ace, 2 block assists, 10 points
GAME TWO | Elizabeth City State, 3 - Winston-Salem State, 2
The Rams returned to the court against Elizabeth City State and rallied from a two-set deficit to force a deciding fifth set. WSSU won the third and fourth sets before the Vikings closed the match with a 15-10 victory.
SET 1 | The teams remained competitive early before Elizabeth City State broke a 6-6 tie with six consecutive points to take a 12-6 lead. The Rams attempted a late comeback, with Chesson contributing to consecutive blocks as WSSU cut into the deficit, but the Vikings closed the set 25-20 on a Cameron Mitrovich kill.
SET 2 | WSSU opened the set with three straight points, including a service ace from Pitt, and later tied the score at 10-10 behind kills from Caldwell and Johnson. Elizabeth City State then turned a 13-13 tie into a 21-14 advantage. The Rams added late kills from Caldwell, Chesson and Ellis, but the Vikings secured another 25-20 win.
SET 3 | The Rams responded with a strong start, scoring seven of the first eight points behind Keys' serving and kills from Caldwell, Ellis and Keys. WSSU extended its lead to 14-4 during Johnson's service turn, with Ellis and Chesson contributing kills. After Elizabeth City State trimmed the margin to 20-17, the Rams answered with an Ellis-Chesson block and additional kills to close out the set 25-21.
SET 4 | WSSU gained control by winning seven of eight rallies to move from a 5-4 lead to a 12-5 advantage. Pitt served the final four points of the run, including a service ace, while Sanders and Wilson contributed kills. Another Pitt service ace helped the Rams maintain momentum before Wilson's block sealed the 25-17 victory and forced a fifth set.
SET 5 | The Rams stayed within reach through a 9-9 tie, with kills from Sanders, Keys and Ellis and a block from
Skylar White. Sanders later recorded a kill from Johnson to pull WSSU within 11-10, but Elizabeth City State scored the final four points to claim the set 15-10 and win the match.
Top Performers vs. Elizabeth City State
- Jewel Pitt: 19 digs, 4 service aces, 5 points
- Holiday Ellis: 10 kills, 11.5 points, 9 digs, 1 service ace
- Aria Caldwell: 10 kills, .263 hitting percentage, 5 digs, 1 solo block
- Celina Johnson: 16 assists, 13 digs, 1 block assist
- Sarah Sanders: 9 kills, 10 digs, .214 hitting percentage
UP NEXT
The Rams continue play at the 2026 CIAA Round-Up #2 on Saturday, Oct. 17, against Bowie State University. First serve is scheduled for 9 a.m. in Petersburg, Virginia.
For more information on Winston-Salem State Athletics and its 12 varsity sports, visit wssurams.com.
