Dillard, Philander Smith sweep; Fisk, Huston-Tillotson go the Distance
BOSSIER CITY, La. - On the first day of the 2025 Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) Volleyball Championship, West No. 1 seed Dillard University and West No. 3 seed Philander Smith University advanced to the semifinals with sweeps while East No 1 seed Fisk University and West No. 2 seed Huston-Tillotson University pulled out five-set victories on Monday in the quarterfinals.
WEST No. 3 PHILANDER SMITH 3, EAST No. 2 TALLADEGA 0 Boxscore
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Philander Smith avenged their previous two postseason losses
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Ja'Niya Sanders recorded 11 kills in 24 attempts
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Essence Wren tallied 18 assists
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Christlove Lature recorded 20 digs
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Taqouia Rounds led Talladega College with 12 kills
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Sha'Niya Cribbs record 29 assists
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Briyith Echeverri notched 19 digs
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The Tornadoes finish 7-12
EAST No. 1 FISK 3, WEST No. 4 PAUL QUINN 2 Boxscore
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Paul Quinn took a 2-1 lead after recording 26 kills and forcing Fisk into 16 attack errors in Sets 2 and 3
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Fisk bounced back in the fourth set with 12 kills and only two attack errors. They forced Paul Quinn into 10 attack errors and a (-).026 hitting percentage
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Fisk took a 5-2 lead in the fifth set on kills by Shelby Chamblin and Laila Esters and a service ace by Reagan Jones
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Paul Quinn bounced back and tied the set at seven with three attack errors by Fisk
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Kills by Chennille McClellan and Shelby Chamblin put Fisk up 13-10.
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McClellan sealed the match with a kill
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Esters led the Lady Bulldogs with 14 kills. Jones and Chamblin followed with 11 and 10, respectively.
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Kaia Barnett recorded 29 assists
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Nialah Gupton and Chamblin each had 12 digs.
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Carrie Weston led the Lady Tigers and all players with 20 kills
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Spirit Phipps recorded 24 assists and Laila Morrison followed with 18
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A'Niyah Harrison recorded 11 digs
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The Lady Tigers finish 19-15 and won the United States Collegiate Athletic Association national championship
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Fisk advances to the semifinals and will face West No. 2 seed Huston-TIllotson
WEST No. 1 DILLARD 3, EAST No. 4 STILLMAN 0, Boxscore
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The defending postseason champion Bleu Devils outscored Stillman 41-30 in kills and outhit it .283 to .080.
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Sarai Rogers led the Dillard with 10 kills on 18 attempts
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Nanyelis Sosa-Moreno recorded 20 assists and nine digs
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Jasmyne Mumphrey tallied 16 digs
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Ava Cameron led Stillman with nine kills
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Kelis Conley posted 17 assists
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Shelby Morris recorded nine digs
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Stillman finishes 5-15
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Dillard moves to 16-8 and faces West No. 3 seed Philander Smith in the semifinals at noon
WEST No. 2 HUSTON-TILLOTSON 3, EAST No. 3 OAKWOOD 2, Boxscore
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Huston-Tillotson held a 2-0 lead after dominating the second set 25-10
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Oakwood extended the match, recording 15 kills in the third set.
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Despite recording eight kills and making 10 attack errors, The Lady Ambassadors evened the match.
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A service error sent the match to fifth set
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Two kills by Lindsey Morris led the Rams to prevail 15-13
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Morris recorded 13 kills. Malaya Bennett followed with 12
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Jordis Taylor posted a double-double 37 assists and 10 digs
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Taylor Fisher tallied 36 digs
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Oakwood's Kamaria Murray led all attackers with 17 kills
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Alexis Wiley posted 17 assists, followed by Cameryn Bucknor's 13
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Arial Smith led the team with 17 digs
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The Lady Ambassadors finish 12-10
TUESDAY's SEMIFINALS
West No. 1 DILLARD (16-8) vs. West No. 3 PHILANDER SMITH (20-9), Watch Live, Live Stats
East No. 1 FISK (28-6) vs. West No. 2 HUSTON-TILLOTSON (15-11), Watch Live, Live Stats
About the HBCU Athletic Conference
The HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) is the only HBCU conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The HBCUAC membership includes Dillard University (LA), Fisk University (TN), Huston-Tillotson University (TX), Oakwood University (AL), Paul Quinn College (TX), Philander Smith University (AR), Rust College (MS), Southern University at New Orleans (LA), Stillman College (AL), Talladega College (AL), Tougaloo College (MS), University of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas), Voorhees University (SC), Wilberforce University (OH), and Wiley University (TX). HBCUAC sponsors championships in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's track and field, women's volleyball, softball, and baseball. In 2022, the HBCUAC secured the largest media rights deal in conference and NAIA history, signing a multimillion-dollar deal with Urban Edge Network. On July 1, 2024, the conference rebranded from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) to the HBCU Athletic Conference, marking a new era for the conference that embodies the makeup of its membership. For more information, visit hbcuac.org.
