WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The Winston-Salem State women's volleyball team (4-4, 01- CIAA) opened its home schedule, CIAA schedule and rivalry series Monday night, falling to Fayetteville State 3-2.
The Rams won the second and third sets 28-26, 28-26, but Fayetteville State took the final two sets 25-23, 15-6.
The Rams took the first point on a
Zoe Chesson block and built a 3-1 lead on back-to-back FSU attack errors. The set stayed close from there, with
Zaria Keys and
Angelica Turnage adding kills before Fayetteville State pulled even at 6-6 and the teams traded points to 12-12. After Turnage's kill tied the set at 12-12, the Broncos scored the next seven points, including kills by Kyla Powell and McKenna Miller and a Tione Freeman service ace, to move ahead 19-12. WSSU got late kills from
Sarah Sanders, Chesson and
Aria Caldwell, but FSU closed the set 25-16 on a Rams service error.
WSSU moved in front 4-1 behind kills from Caldwell and
Celina Johnson, then stayed ahead as
Holiday Ellis and Turnage helped the set reach 17-12. Fayetteville State answered with a 9-1 stretch, moving ahead 19-18 on Amori Johnson's kill and pushing the lead to 21-18 on a Melissa Gonzalez service ace. The Rams came back to tie the set at 23-23 on a Bronco attack error and Turnage kill, but Fayetteville State reached set point at 24-23, 25-24 and 26-25. Sanders tied it at 26-26,
Kamiyah Wilson put WSSU ahead 27-26, and Ellis finished the set with a kill for a 28-26 win.
After FSU built a 5-3 edge, the Rams tied the set on Chesson's kill and moved in front 6-5 on an Ellis service ace. WSSU extended the advantage to 12-6 with kills by Caldwell and Turnage plus blocks involving Turnage and Wilson, and later kills by Ellis and Cuthbertson helped push the lead to 17-11. Fayetteville State cut the margin to 18-16 and later pulled even at 24-24 after the Rams had reached 24-22. After Fayetteville State went ahead 26-25, Ellis tied it with a kill, Keys served an ace for a 27-26 lead, and Ellis finished a Keys set to give WSSU the set, 28-26.
After a block by Turnage and Chesson put the Rams ahead 7-4,
Tiffany Blakely served five straight points as Chesson, Turnage and Keys recorded kills to build a 12-4 lead. WSSU pushed the margin to 14-5 on kills by Chesson and Turnage, but FSU worked back from there, trimming the deficit to 16-13 and later using a five-point run to move ahead 18-17. Caldwell tied the set at 18-18, and the Rams stayed even as late as 22-22 on a Sanders kill, but Fayetteville State reached set point on back-to-back Mya Hejl kills before closing the set 25-23 on a Kyla Powell kill.
The Rams kept the early fifth set within 3-2 on kills by Caldwell and Ellis after the Broncos scored the first two points. Fayetteville State created separation from there, moving ahead 8-3 behind two Kemyah Harris kills, an Aolani Cannon block and a WSSU service error. Turnage answered with a kill, and Wilson and Turnage combined on a block to make it 9-5, but Fayetteville State followed with kills from Mya Hejl and Kyla Powell to build a 13-5 lead. After a Bronco service error gave the Rams their final point, McKenna Miller and Powell closed the set with kills for a 15-6 Fayetteville State finish.
Rams Top Performers
Holiday Ellis
- 18.0 points
- 17 kills
- 10 digs
- 1 service ace
Angelica Turnage
- 16.5 points
- 13 kills on .370 hitting
- 5 total blocks, including 2 solo
- 4 digs
Kalyn Cuthbertson
- 18 digs
- 4 assists
- 1 block assist
Zaria Keys
- 20 assists
- 3 kills on .750 hitting
- 6 digs
- 1 service ace
Kamiyah Wilson
- 5 total blocks, including 2 solo
- 3 kills
- 6.5 points
Up Next
The Rams volleyball team hosts Bluefield State University on Thursday, Sept. 24, at 6 p.m. inside Whitaker Gymnasium in Winston-Salem, N.C.
For more information on Winston-Salem State Athletics and its 12 varsity sports, visit wssurams.com.
