Southern University

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The Southern University volleyball team battled back to claim the third set but could not complete the comeback, falling 3-1 (17-25, 18-25, 25-23, 22-25) to Bethune-Cookman on Sunday afternoon at Richard V. Moore Gymnasium.
 
The Lady Jaguars (7-14, 3-5 SWAC) finished with 52 kills, led by Mariah Mott's match-high 14 kills on a .357 hitting percentage. Sereniti Johnson added 11 kills, while Paulina Agudelo Marin and Reagan Robinson contributed seven kills apiece. Maleah Faust and Penina Vito combined for 45 assists, and Najah Harris led Southern defensively with 27 digs.
 
Bethune-Cookman (11-9, 7-3 SWAC) took control early in the opening set, building a 6-0 advantage before Southern settled into the match. The Lady Jaguars attempted to close the gap behind Mott and Johnson, but the Wildcats maintained their lead and secured the set, 25-17.
 
Southern faced another challenge in the second set as Bethune-Cookman used a strong offensive performance to establish separation. The Wildcats held a 15-10 advantage midway through the set and continued to apply pressure despite a late push from the Lady Jaguars. Southern strung together points behind Robinson and Agudelo Marin, but Bethune-Cookman closed out the set, 25-18, to take a 2-0 match lead.
 
The Lady Jaguars responded with their strongest stretch of the afternoon in the third set. Southern opened with a 6-0 run, highlighted by kills from Johnson and Mott, to put the Wildcats on their heels. Bethune-Cookman gradually worked its way back into the contest, eventually taking a 21-20 lead. Southern answered down the stretch, tying the score at 22-22 before Robinson delivered a key kill to give the Lady Jaguars a 24-23 advantage. An attack error by the Wildcats on the next rally sealed a 25-23 Southern victory and extended the match.
 
Looking to even the match, Southern battled through a competitive fourth set. The Lady Jaguars worked their way back from an early deficit, using contributions from Johnson, Mott and Norielle Battle to remain within striking distance. Southern continued to fight late, but Bethune-Cookman maintained its advantage and closed out the set, 25-22, to secure the four-set victory.
 
Mott led the Southern attack with 14 kills, while Johnson finished with 11 kills and 13 points. Robinson added seven kills and 13 digs, and Agudelo Marin contributed seven kills and 5 digs. Harris recorded a team-high 27 digs, while Faust distributed 23 assists and Vito added 22.
 
UP NEXT
The Lady Jaguars head to Tallahassee, Florida, to take on Florida A&M on Monday at 11 a.m.

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