Custom Search FAYETTEVILLE, NC – The Fayetteville State University volleyball team has successfully defended its Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship title.
The Lady Broncos outlasted Winston-Salem State in four sets (25-23, 26-28, 25-16, 25-22) on Saturday at Felton J. Capel Arena to earn their fifth Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament title overall and their second tournament title in as many years.
FSU will find out its opponent for the NCAA Division II Tournament at the NCAA's selection show on Monday.
"In the Chowan match (in the semifinal earlier Saturday morning), they were playing an offensive game, that is to get me out of the game. In this match, our passes were on more and I could work myself into the game," FSU's Joylene Thompson said. "Executing is what I do."
In three of the four sets, FSU built an early margin only to have the Lady Rams claw back and make it close late. In the second set, FSU failed to turn a 24-21 lead into a win. The 10-minute intermission that followed, however, allowed the Lady Broncos to refocus.
"That intermission actually worked for us," FSU coach Reeshemah Johnson said. "We played earlier this morning and so that little break actually helped us. We did some things with our legs wrong and just talked about it. They were really focused, so there wasn't a lot to bring them back."
That set followed an opening frame that saw the Lady Broncos jump out to a 9-3 lead, hold the margin to 16-9 and keep it a seven-point gap at 20-13. The Lady Rams scored 10 of the next 14 points to pull within 24-23, but FSU didn't let it slip away. Luis got the decisive kill.
That second set loss occurred after FSU blew 18-13 and 24-21 leads. It was knotted at 26 apiece when Darissa Jones got a kill and Luis had an attack error.
The third set opened with back and forth play to the point of eight ties in the set's first 16 points. Then, just as quickly, the Lady Broncos reeled off eight consecutive points to take a 16-8 lead.
"That's what champions do," Johnson said. "Champions maintain their composure under pressure."
WSSU never got closer than six the rest of that set, then entered set four needing a win to continue the match.
It didn't happen.
Despite jumping out to a 12-10 lead, the Lady Rams were not able to withstand the Lady Broncos turn at a rally. After trailing 15-12, FSU scored 10 of the next 12 points to take a 22-17 lead. Once it got to 24-22, Thompson – fittingly – recorded the final kill.
Shavon Shaw (11) and Luis (10) also finished with double-figure kill totals. Paige Horne had 20 assists to lead the Lady Broncos.
2013 CIAA All-Tournament Team
| Cindy Ehrich | Chowan |
| Nikira Fults | Chowan |
| Jamisha Jordan | Fayetteville State |
| Samira Lewis | Fayetteville State |
| Joylene Thompson | Fayetteville State |
| Aubree Parker | Virginia State |
| Diamond Simpson | Virginia State |
| Kayla Brass | Winston-Salem State |
| Olivia Owens | Winston-Salem State |
| Most Valuable Player | |
| Joylene Thompson | Fayetteville State |