Volleyball comes up empty against Dillard, SUNO
NEW ORLEANS - The Wiley University volleyball team could not build on the momentum of its first two victories as it suffered three-set losses at Dillard University (LA) (25-14, 25-15, 25-10) on Friday and at Southern University at New Orleans (32-30, 25-15, 25-19) on Saturday in Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) matches.
The Lady Wildcats (2-11, 2-7 HBCUAC) fall to 0-4 in road matches and into a tie for eighth with SUNO, who clinched the head-to-head tiebreaker with Saturday's win.
On Friday, Wiley was outhit .261 to -.076 and outscored 37-15 in kills. Nine of the 21 attack errors by the Lady Wildcats resulted from blocks from the Bleu Devils. They were edged on the serve with two aces and four errors. Dillard put down nine aces and made seven errors.
Rachelle Santos and Nadia Cortez led the team with four kills each. Maria Luiza Chaves was the primary setter with nine assists. T'aja Hardy led in digs with eight. Jae Jemmott, Lealani Monsegue and Chaves each tallied two block assists.
Wiley was outhit .133 to .021 against SUNO on Saturday. It was outscored 35-23 in kills. The Lady Wildcats struggled on the serve as it allowed 26 points on the seve with 15 aces and 11 errors. They put down six aces on the Lady Knights and benefited from 12 errors. Shyla Starks put up her fourth double-digit kill match with 12. Cortez followed with four and also recorded three service aces. Chaves provided a career-high 21 assists. Hardy led the team with nine digs. Jemmott posted two solo blocks.
A service error, two attack errors and a receiving error put Wiley in a five-point hole in the first set. Three errors by SUNO helped Wiley close the gap to two. A kill by Chaves tied the set at 19. Wiley grabbed the lead on an attacking error. A kill by Cortez put it in position to clinch set point. A service error extended the set. Jemmott gave Wiley the lead with a kill. An attack error and a receiving error put SUNO in position to clinch the set. A service error extended the set. Starks put Wiley ahead 27-26, a service error kept SUNO in the match. An attack error and receiving error gave the set to the Lady Knights.
Wiley took a 10-6 lead in the second set on a pair of aces from Cortez. Two kills and a receiving error allowed SUNO to tie the set at 13. A kill by Starks gave Wiley the lead. A kill, receiving error and attack error turned momentum in SUNO's favor as it went on a 10-point run.
The Lady Wildcats could not take the lead in the third set. Kills by Starks and Jemmott tied the set at eight. Once again, errors allowed the Lady Knights to take control. Six attacking and three receiving miscues led to 10 unanswered points for Southern University at New Orleans.
Wiley will visit Southwestern Christian College for a scrimmage on Monday and resume HBCUAC play at Tougaloo College on Friday.
For more coverage on the Lady Wildcats visit Women's Volleyball Home - Wiley University (wileyathletics.com)
About Wiley University Athletics
Wiley University sponsors 12 varsity sports, women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track and field, men's and women's outdoor track and field and baseball. It competes in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) and the Continental Athletic Conference for men's and women's soccer.
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