BOSSIER CITY, La. – Dillard University volleyball players Cadence Thomas and Gabrielle Washington led a strong front row defense and Vanae Sapp and Tyramae Fautanu recorded double-doubles to lift Dillard University to the title with a sweep over Talladega College (25-18, 25-23, 25-19) in the 2024 Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) Championship Match at Billy Montgomery Gymnasium.

Thomas recorded two solo blocks and four assists and Washington provided four block assists. The Bleu Devils turned away 11 attacks from Talladega and held it to a .032 hitting percentage, its lowest of the season.

Sapp recorded her third double-double of the tournament with 11 kills and 12 digs, earning the 2024 HBCUAC Championship Most Valuable Player. Fautanu recorded 15 assists and 10 digs. Thomas and Washington followed Sapp in kills with eight and seven, respectively. Trenity Pender provided 13 digs and four assists, earning All-Tournament. Sara Da Silva also earned All-Tournament with seven kills in the championship match.

Dillard (20-8) took the lead in the first set with a four-point run on three attack errors by Talladega. A kill by Thomas sparked a seven-point run which allowed the Bleu Devils to pull away. Washington and Nya St. Cyr teamed up for two blocks and each got kills to give Dillard an 18-8 lead. Sapp sealed the set with a kill.

The Bleu Devils continued their momentum in the second set jumping out to a 7-3 lead on two kills from Sapp, who also teamed up with Washington for a block. Talladega rallied with a five-point run. Marcelly Perez and Zariah Messick teamed up for two blocks. Giovana Costarelli recorded two aces to give the Tornadoes an 18-17 lead prompting a timeout by Dillard coach Angela Franke.

Kills by Da Silva, Thomas and Makaela Swoopes gave the lead back to Dillard. The teams exchanged points. Washington and Da Silva got kills to put the Bleu Devils up by two games.

The third set was a see-saw battle. Re’na Ashley recorded three kills and teamed up with Perez for a block to give the Tornadoes a five-point lead. It maintained its advantage until it made an attack error and Sarai Rogers recorded a kill to put Dillard in front 15-14. Franchesca Rivas recorded a kill and Kortni Johnson and Josephine Gates put down a block to put Talladega up 17-15.

Washington and Da Silva scored kills and the Bleu Devils took advantage of two attacking errors to retake the lead 19-17. Talladega was unable to rally. Thomas recorded a solo block, a block assist and a kill. Sapp clinched the title with her 11th kill.

Ashley led the Tornadoes with eight kills. Messick followed with seven kills and two block assists. Johnson had six kills and two block assists. Costarelli led the team with 17 assists and three service aces, earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Nuria Santos provided 11 assists and six digs. Briyith Echeverri recorded 22 digs. Taquoia Rounds followed with 12 and earned All-Tournament.

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BOSSIER CITY, La. – The championship match of the 2024 Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) Volleyball Championship is set. Top seed Talladega College and No. 2 seed Dillard University will battle for the title at noon on Wednesday.

NO. 1 TALLADEGA 3, NO. 4 PHILANDER SMITH 0   Boxscore
Talladega College volleyball players Franchesca Rivas and Josephine Gates provided double-digit kill performances to send the Tornadoes to the championship for the second consecutive season with a sweep over Philander Smith University (25-18, 25-22, 25-18).

Rivas recorded 15 kills in 38 attempts and added six digs and two block assists. Gates contributed 10 kills and eight total blocks. Giovana Costarelli nearly recorded a double-double with 19 assists and eight digs. Nuria Santos added 15 assists and six digs. Briyith Echeverri led all defenders with 21 digs.

Two kills by Re’na Ashley and a service ace by Stella Lukaszuk gave Talladega a five-point lead early in the first set and it didn’t relinquish it. The Tornadoes put down 15 kills in 36 attempts while Philander Smith had 10 but made eight attack errors in 37 attempts. Gates clinched the first set with a kill. Talladega did endure a scary moment as Kortni Johnson and Taquoia Rounds collided going after a ball and did not return to the game.

With Talladega having to shake up its rotation, Philander Smith got a jump on them in the second set. Zarea Winn got a kill and a block and Essence Wren got a kill to put the Panthers ahead 11-6. After a timeout, the Tornadoes regrouped. Gates, Ashley and Rivas got kills to cut the margin to 11-10.

Philander Smith called a timeout leading to another momentum shift. Two kills by Winn, one by Sanders and a pair of errors by Talladega gave the Panthers a 16-11 lead. The lead stayed intact until Ashley got a kill and Gates got a block to give Talladega a 21-20 lead. The Panthers tied it with an attack error by the Tornadoes. Rivas put down two kills and Gates one to take the set.

The Tornadoes took control of the third set with a five-point run. Rivas got a kill and Gates and Costarelli and Dyani Steward teamed up for three blocks to increase their advantage to 12-7. It lead by as many as eight. Winn got a kill and teamed up with Antonisha Whitney for a block to cut the margin to four. Kills by Rivas and Ashley and two attack errors by Philander Smith put the Tornadoes up by eight.

The Panthers finish the season 21-7. Sanders recorded 10 kills and seven digs. Winn notched eight kills, three digs and three total blocks. Wren posted a double-double with 23 assists and 18 digs. Christlove Lauture put up 12 digs.

NO. 2 DILLARD 3, NO. 3 FISK 0 Boxscore
Dillard University volleyball players Vanae Sapp recorded a double-double and Gabrielle Washington led a strong front row defense to lead the Bleu Devils to a sweep over Fisk University (25-19, 25-15, 25-18).

Along with a spot in the championship match the victory gives Dillard the conference’s second automatic berth to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Volleyball Championship Opening Round. Talladega gained the other automatic berth by winning the regular season title.

Sapp tallied 13 kills, 15 digs and five service aces. Cadence Thomas followed with eight kills in 19 attempts. Washington contributed to six blocks with two solo and put down five kills. The Bleu Devils blocked seven attacks from the Bulldogs and out-hit them .327 to .118. Dillard put down 42 kills and only made eight errors in 104 attack attempts. The Bulldogs recorded 32 kills but made 19 errors in 110 attempts.

The Bleu Devils (19-8) pulled out to a 10-1 lead in the first set and didn’t look back. Sapp recorded two kills and four service aces. Fisk didn’t get closer than five. Washington secured the first set with a kill. Dillard outhit Fisk .216 to .132 in the first set.

Fisk briefly held the lead in the second set on kills by Sydney Willis and Trinity Britt. Kills by Thomas, Sapp and Sara Da Silva opened a seven-point lead for Dillard. The Bulldogs didn’t have an answer. Kills by Thomas and Da Silva opened up a double-digit advantage for the Bleu Devils.

Sapp scored two kills and Nya St. Cyr one to give Dillard a four-point lead in the third set. The Bulldogs weren’t able to put more than two points together. Two kills by Neveah Bax and one from Thomas, put the Bleu Devils in striking distance of clinching the match. Thomas, Da Silva, St. Cyr and Sapp closed it out for Dillard, which is making their second appearance in the finals in the last three years.

Tyramae Fautanu recorded 19 assists and four digs. Nanyelis Moreno followed with 17 assists, five digs and two service aces. Trenity Pender and Jasmyne Mumphrey posted double-digit dig performances with 13 and 12, respectively.

Fisk finished the season 23-16. Willis led the attack with 13 kills. Reagan Jones followed with eight and contributed eight digs. Britt recorded a double-double with 23 assists and 14 digs. Nialah Gupton provided 14 digs and three assists.

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TUSCALOOSA – Originally scheduled for Feb. 3, Stillman College softball will begin the 2021 season one day later with a trip to cross-state HBCU rival Talladega College on Feb. 4, before hosting the Tornadoes Feb. 6 at noon.

The 2021 season will begin five weeks shy of one year since Stillman’s last game, March 11, 2020 before the COVID-19 shutdown. At the time, Stillman was riding a three-game win streak after a sweep of Culver-Stockton College and ending the season with an 8-6 non-conference final record.

Stillman’s roster includes nine returners and 10 new additions for the 2021 season.

Candace Hampton is the only senior from 2020 taking advantage of the extra year granted by the NAIA. Hampton was one of three players to start all 14 games in, led the nation in outfield fielding percentage (1.000). Hampton hit .340 with a team-best 17 hits and 50 at bats. Her eight runs and five RBIs also leads the returners. Her 3.57 at bats per game ranked 49th in the NAIA. Since her freshman year during Stillman’s final NCAA DII season in 2016, Hampton has appeared in 129 games during her career, hitting .332 (119-328) with 71 runs scored, 42 RBIs, 10 doubles, two triples and a home run. She has 21 stolen bases.

Kerstie Reynolds returns for her fourth season as Stillman’s shortstop and has also pitched. She hit .318 in 2020 with nine singles and a double. Reynolds, a .319 career hitter, is 14 hits shy of 100 as a Tiger. She was 11-10 as a pitcher her first two seasons, but did not appear in the circle in 2020.

Tay’la Stowes and Savannah Mayes are the other two Tigers to start all 14 games in 2020. Stowes hit .250 with six runs scored and five RBI. Mayes hit .178, but drove in five and also scored six times. She struck out only three times in 45 at bats.

Cynthia White is the Tigers’ leading returning hitter from 2020, batting .368 through 12 games and seven starts in 2020. She led Stillman with three doubles.

Offensively, Stillman will see the addition of freshman Taylor Roland as a true utility player, rotating from third base, catcher and the outfield. Roland, a native of Millbrook, Alabama, hit .367 with 37 RBI and 32 runs scored her last full season at Autauga Academy in 2019.

Freshman Ayslan Blake from Hillcrest High School will see everyday duties behind the plate.

Stillman’s only starting pitcher returning from 2020 is Kaitlyn Childress of Billingsley, Alabama. She led the Tigers with 30 strikeouts through six starts in her debut Stillman season. Her 6.389 innings pitched per game ranked 20th in the NAIA with 38.1 total innings of work.

Chidress will be joined by her former Shelton State Community College teammate Katie Clifton, who will pitch and play first base for the Tigers. Clifton comes to Stillman from D3 Huntingdon College in Montgomery, where she had a 2.41 ERA through 31.2 innings last season. At Shelton State from 2017-2019, she hit .350 with 10 home runs.

Freshmen pitchers Brooklyn Pennington, an All-State selection from Lamar County, and Presley Graham from Hueytown High School will also work their way into the rotation.

“This year’s team is the most talented team by far,” said Joel Penfield, entering his fourth season as Stillman’s head coach. “We are two and three deep in every position which only makes us better. I see everyone being able to step on the field at anytime and give us a chance to win.”

The Feb. 4 doubleheader at Talladega and Feb. 6 doubleheader in Tuscaloosa are the beginning of a 42-game schedule for Stillman, including 12 home dates.

“This year’s schedule I think is tough, but I expect us to complete in every game. In conference play, I expect us to be right up there with everyone. We are excited and looking forward to a great season,” Penfield said.

Stillman will then have a two-week break before playing Louisiana College at the Hoover Met and hosting Point University on Feb. 23. February’s schedule closes Feb. 27 at MUW.

Stillman has a full March with five-straight home doubleheaders in the first 16 days. Southern States Athletic Conference action will begin when Faulkner University comes to town March 9, the first of 12 conference doubleheaders on docket, including seven at home. Following a weekend swing to Georgia to meet Middle Georgia on March 19 and Brewton-Parker on March 20.

Stillman will close out the month with three home dates. Six of the eight scheduled dates in April will be on the road, except for the final home games April 15 and 16 against Brewton-Parker and Middle Georgia. The regular season finale is scheduled for April 24 at No. 7 University of Mobile.

Only players’ parents will be allowed at Stillman College home games due to COVID-19 precautions.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Stillman College men’s basketball enters the NAIA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll this week at No. 23, the national office announced Wednesday.

Stillman (8-1, 7-1 SSAC West) is the third among Southern States Athletic Conference teams behind No. 7 Faulkner University and No. 12 Loyola University (La.). Faulkner (16-1, 7-0) leads the SSAC East by three games. Stillman leads Loyola (10-2, 5-2) in the SSAC West standings by 1.5 games.

“We’re happy to be back in the Top 25. Anytime you can get recognized it is good for the team,” said John Teasley, Stillman head coach. “It’s been one of the craziest years. We’ve been fortunate to stay healthy so far, with us sitting out in the fall.  We knew we had to do a lot of work in a little bit of time. The guys are playing well together. The season is still early though, and we still have a lot of work to do.”

Due to COVID-19 precautions, Stillman did not practice until Dec. 28 and opened the 2020-21 season Jan. 5 with a road win at Rust College. The Tigers went on to sweep William Carey University and record a road win at the University of Mobile and a road sweep of Blue Mountain College before splitting at then-No. 5 Loyola in New Orleans, Jan. 22-23. Stillman moved to 8-1, 7-1 in the SSAC West on Jan. 26 with a home victory over Mobile. The Tigers will be off this weekend, Jan. 29-30, and will return to action Feb. 2 at Mobile.

Indiana Wesleyan (21-1) leads the national rankings with 14 first-place votes. LSU Shreveport is second with seven first-place votes. William Penn and Lewis-Clark State hold their spots at No. 3 and No. 4, while No. 5 Arizona Christian and No. 6 Shawnee State University each climbed one spot in the last two weeks. Following No. 7 Faulkner is No. 8 Science & Arts (Okla.), No. 9 Morningside (Iowa) and No. 10 Providence (Mont.), who each jumped multiple spots.

Stillman is one of three HBCUs in the Top 25. Talladega sits at No. 14 and Dillard is No. 24.

This is Stillman’s first national ranking since being ranked No. 17 on Dec. 11, 2019. The Tigers were ranked in the Top 20 for 10-straight polls from Dec. 4, 2018 until Dec. 11, 2019. The Tigers closed the 2019-2020 season receiving votes in the poll to earn an at-large bid to the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship prior to its cancelation. While it did not receive a vote in the 2020-2021 preseason, Stillman had three points in the Jan. 13, 2021 rankings.

Statistically, Stillman ranks Top 20 in five categories: assist/turnover ratio (2nd, 1.59), 3-point defense (11th, .277), offensive rebounds per game (13th, 14.0), assists per game (15th, 17.667) and 3-point field goal percentage (19th, .390).

The next NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 poll is scheduled for Feb. 10 with the final regular season poll scheduled Feb. 24.

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TUSCALOOSA –   It took only 10 seconds for Trey Petty to put Stillman College on the scoreboard, and the Tigers did not look back en route to a 76-65 win over the University of Mobile in Birthright Alumni Hall. The win maintains Stillman’s lead in the Southern States Athletic Conference West Division by 1.5 games over Loyola University.

Stillman spread the ball around with eight players scoring, including four in double figures. Roger Davis ended up leading Stillman with 15 points off the bench, including 13 in the second half. Devin Merriweather finished with 13 points, Trey Petty had 12 and Ladarius Carter scored 11.

The Tigers out-rebounded Mobile, 52-38, led by Virgil Fields’ 12 boards and nine by Petty. Stillman continued its trend of protecting the basketball with an even 11 assists and 11 turnovers.

Stillman led by nine at the half, 39-30, before opening the second half on a 20-9 run to go up by 20 points, 59-39, in the first eight minutes. Petty grabbed an offensive rebound and put back for the first 20-point margin. Moments later, Tomias Brand slammed down a fastbreak dunk off a Petty steal to make it 20 once more, and then a Roger Davis basket later pushed it to 21 points, 65-44.

Mobile led only once, 10-8, after an Alan Lang basket eight minutes into the game.

RJ Kelly led Mobile with 15 points, 11 rebounds and two blocked shots while playing in foul trouble. Lang finished with 12 and Maurice Anderson scored 10. Logan Foutz, Darvin JOnes and Trenton Short each scored eight.

Both teams were held around 20% from 3-point range, playing the night inside the arch.

Stillman is scheduled to have the weekend off before returning to the University of Mobile next Tuesday, Feb. 2 for game three of a four-game series. Mobile (8-8, 3-4 SSAC) will play a two-game set at Loyola in New Orleans over the weekend first.

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Southern States Athletic Conference Board of Presidents unanimously approved the addition of Talladega College effective July 1, 2021, with competition to begin during the 2021-22 academic year.

Talladega’s men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and softball teams have all had recent success at the national level, with men’s basketball earning national tournament bids six of the last seven years, women’s basketball earning five bids in the last seven years, baseball reaching three-straight NAIA Opening Rounds and softball earning an opening round bid in 2018.

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But a loss to Freed-Hardeman is the last thing voters have to look at on the Tornadoes schedule prior to voting in the first regular season poll.

Talladega droped one spot to No. 20 in the NAIA Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.

Here is the complete poll:

NAIA WBB Top 25 Poll – 2020-2021 No. 1

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The NAIA announced its first National Player of the Week for the 2020-2021 season on Monday.

Player of the Week: C.J. Williamson, Faulkner

C.J. Williamson averaged a double-double over the course of three spectacular games. After setting a new career-high with 32 points in a come-from-behind win over Thomas (Ga.), the junior bested that total in the final game of the week with a 33-point performance against Keiser (Fla.).

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Donte Edwards, Miles, RB, So.
Miles captured its second consecutive SIAC title and posted more than 180 rushing yards per game to help earn that championship. Edwards’ freshman campaign saw him gain 758 yards on the year, along with 11 touchdown, three of which he picked up in the SIAC Championship Game. A solid sophomore season could put the Golden Bears back in the playoffs again.

Steven Hodges, Tuskegee, WR, Sr.
Hodges led the way in receptions for the Golden Tigers in 2019. As a senior, he may get more attention as Ramzy, Pettway and Gant have moved on. With a new starting quarterback for 2020, Hodges could be a stable factor for the Tuskegee offense.

Jack McDaniels, West Alabama, QB, Sr.
The Gulf South is bringing back some arms in 2020 and McDaniels is up near the top of that category. The senior passed for more that 2,300 yards last season at a pace of more than 200 per game and competed more than 63 percent of his passes. With quality receivers at his disposal, the Tigers are poised for to get back into the upper portion of the league and push for the postseason.

Malik Meadows, Faulkner, DB, Sr.
Meadows double his career total in interceptions last season, picking off four, and did so in just eight games. His efforts earned him All Mid-South Conference recognition in the Sun Division and he should be set for a big senior year.

Casey Peppers, Huntingdon, LB, So.
In his debut season with the Hawks, Peppers made his presence known. He was third on the team in tackles and led the way in tackles-for-loss with 8.5. He also forced and recovered three fumbles.

Robert Shufford, Birmingham-Southern, RB, Sr.
2019 was a breakout year for Shufford, who earned All-American status and was the South Region Offensive Player of the Year. As a junior, he racked up 183.4 yards per game in 10 outings and posted nearly 200 all-purpose yards per game. SAA defenses will be planning with him in mind in 2020.

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Here is that post:

• All sports except football: September 5 (providing 3 weeks of practice prior to competition)
• Football: September 12 (providing 4 weeks of practice prior to competition)

• Cross Country: 7 meets, down from 8
• Football: 9 games, down from 11
• Men’s and Women’s Soccer: 14 games, down from 18
• Women’s Volleyball: 22 dates, down from 28

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