GREENSBORO — It was a gritty battle for the North Carolina A&T volleyball team, who opened the 2025 season with a four-set win (12-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-11) over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats Friday night at Corbett Sports Center.
Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Preseason Player of the Year, sophomore Tyne Ross, led the Aggies with 20 kills, nine digs and three total blocks. She made only four attack errors in 48 attempts for a .333 hitting percentage.
The match was a part of the Aggie/Phoenix Invitational, a non-conference tournament A&T is co-hosting with fellow CAA member Elon University.
The Wildcats opened the match as the aggressors, taking control after a series of Aggie errors shifted the momentum in Bethune-Cookman's favor. After the Aggies took a 6-3 lead, the Wildcats outscored A&T 17-6, forcing an A&T timeout with a 20-12 deficit staring at them. The Daytona Beach opponents kept the pressure up the rest of that set to take a 1-0 lead in the set.
"I felt like we were extremely timid, and I think that has a lot to do with the way Bethune-Cookman just kind of came out of the blocks fast," said A&T head coach Hal Clifton, who was ultimately pleased with his team's resilience. "We were kind of stunned there for a second, but I'm glad we had the resolve and the fortitude to come back."
Ross took over the second set, recording seven kills without an attack error on 16 attempts. Ross's kill, which put her team up 14-10, almost lit on fire after it landed on the Corbett floor with thunderous force. Ross teamed with fellow sophomore Luca Radnai on a block assist, quickly returning the ball down next to Simmons' feet in front of the 10-foot line to clinch the second set and tie the match at 1-1.
A&T trailed early in the third set, but another Ross kill, followed by several Wildcat attack errors, started a 6-1 run for the Aggies, giving A&T a 16-11 advantage. However, an A&T attack error, a block assist from Bethune-Cookman's Kaleigh Williams and Mecca Freeman and a service ace from Melissa Gonzalez cut A&T's lead to three, 20-17, forcing an Aggies timeout.
Out of the break, A&T built its lead to 23-18 on a Williams attack error before a Ross kill secured set No. 3 for A&T, giving the Aggies a 2-1 lead heading into the fourth set. The fourth set was a dominant one for A&T, who hustled for every play. Even after finding themselves up 17-9, they remained relentless.
Sophomore Charlie Meadoweal had an impressive dig on a forceful attack from Simmons. As the ball went flying high toward the scorer's table, Ross chased closely behind it. She athletically bumped the ball back into play, where Luca Radnai was waiting to send it over the net. After the hustle play, Ross completed the sequence with a solo block that landed with authority.
The Aggies season-opening win ended when freshman right side hitter Camden Scott sent a fiery cross-court kill to the floor. Sophomore right side Mikala Sampson added 11 kills on a .381 hitting percentage for A&T. Freshman Nicole Ellis had three total blocks in her collegiate debut.
A&T returns to action in the Aggie/Phoenix Invitational with a 6 p.m. contest on Saturday against Coppin State at Corbett.
