HBCU Athletic Conference Teams Receive Automatic Bids To NAIA Championships

Conference teams from men's cross country, women's cross country, and women's volleyball head to the NAIA.

hbcuac / hbcuac

Four teams from the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) received automatic berths to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Championships in men's cross country, women's cross country, and women's volleyball.

The 2024 HBCUAC Women's Cross Country Champion Dillard University and individual qualifiers Ja'Neisha Collins of Philander Smith University, Jewel Cross of Talladega College, and Ta'Mya Sims and Herlancia Miller of Tougaloo College will race for the title at the 2024 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Women's Cross Country National Championship at Gans Creek Cross Country course in Columbia, Mo. at 11:30 a.m. Friday.

The six-kilometer race will stream on the NAIA Channel of the Urban Edge Network streaming App, which is free to download on streaming devices app stores or watch online. Live results will also be available.

The Lady Bleu Devils dominated for their fourth straight conference title. Four of its five runners finished in the top 10, led by Brooklyn Acosta, who finished third at 27:04.70. Tazia McGee (28:12.53), Kevell Byrd (28:23.99), and Kennedy Timmons (28:33.69), who finished sixth through eighth place. Dillard is one of 35 teams that qualified. 

The individuals qualified by placing in the top 15 and not running on the champion team at the conference championship. Collins cruised to her second straight individual title, finishing in 26:04.02, which was 41 seconds faster than Cross (26:45.73). The two-time champion won three HBCUAC Runner of the Week awards. Sims and Miller finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Collins, Cross, Sims, and Miller are four of 82 individuals who will compete for the individual national title along with the athletes who qualified with their schools.

The top 40 finishers will earn NAIA All-American.

The top 40 finishers will earn NAIA All-American. / HBCUAC

The 2024 HBCUAC Men's Cross Country champion Tougaloo College and individuals Javoun Goldsby of Wiley University, Amos Metto of Stillman College, Katavious Gibbs of Philander Smith University and Decquan Nisbett of Talladega College will run at the 2024 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Men's Cross Country National Championship at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Missouri at 10:30 a.m. Friday.

The eight-kilometer race will stream on the NAIA Channel of the Urban Edge Network streaming App, which is free to download on streaming devices app stores or watch online. Live results will also be available.

Tougaloo is one of 36 schools competing for the red banner. It claimed the HBCUAC title with five runners finishing in the top 15, led by JaDarrius Nelson, who was the individual runner-up (29:10.30). Nevon Taylor finished fifth, Ashton Neely 11th, Kavan Wooten 12th and Andre' Payne 14th.

The conference's individuals qualified by finishing in the top 15 and not running on the winning team. They are four of the 80 individuals who qualified and will vie for the individual national title along with athletes who qualified with their schools.

Goldsby won the HBCUAC individual title at 29:09.70. He won six of the eight conference Runner of the Week awards. Metto finished third at the 2024 HBCUAC Cross Country Championship (29:58). He won Runner of the Week for September 16-22. Gibbs finished fourth (30:19.20) and Nisbett placed sixth (30:46.70).

The top 40 finishers will earn NAIA All-American.

The top 40 finishers will earn NAIA All-American. / hbcuac

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The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Volleyball Opening Round matchups are set for the 2024 HBCUAC regular season champion Talladega College and the tournament champion Dillard University. The Tornadoes will visit No. 3 Indiana Wesleyan University at 6 p.m. Saturday and the Lady Bleu Devils will travel to No. 1 Northwestern College at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Talladega's match will stream on Indiana Wesleyan's Hudl TV and can be viewed for $9.95. Live statistics can be viewed at no charge. Dillard's match will stream on Northwestern's channel on the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Network and can be viewed for $10. Live statistics are available at no charge.

The Tornadoes (25-9) make their second straight NAIA Volleyball National Championship Opening Round appearance. They locked up the HBCUAC regular season title with 11 straight conference wins after suffering their only blemish, a five-set loss to Fisk University on September 21 in a rematch of last season's championship match. Talladega only lost four sets which were all to Fisk in its 15 HBCUAC matches. It won several of the Weekly HBCUAC awards. 

Franchesca Rivas won three Attacker of the Week awards and earned All-HBCUAC First Team, and Re'na Ashley won two and was also an All-HBCUAC First Team selection. Briyith Echeverri, who was selected as the Preseason HBCUAC Player of the Year, won four Defender of the Week Awards, earning Defender of the Year and All-HBCUAC First Team. Giovana Costarelli claimed Setter of the Week twice, Setter of the Year, All-HBCUAC First Team and All-Tournament. The Tornadoes breezed to the final with sweeps over Southern University at New Orleans and Philander Smith University.

Indiana Wesleyan is the defending NAIA national champion and went 31-2 en route to their second straight Crossroads League title. Eva Joldersma won Crossroads Player of the Year for the second straight season. She led the team with 488 kills and an average of 4.52 per Set.

The Lady Bleu Devils (20-8) make their first NAIA Volleyball National Championship appearance since 2010. They also dominated the HBCUAC with its only loss against Talladega on September 27. Trenity Pender was Dillard's only HBCUAC Weekly award winner - claiming Defender of the Week for October 14-20. Dillard had three All-HBCUAC First Team Selections: Cadence Thomas, Vanae Sapp and Sara Da Silva. Gabrielle Washington, Nanyelis Moreno and Tyramae Fautanu earned All-HBCUAC Second Team Selections.

The Lady Bleu Devils waltzed through the competition at the 2024 HBCUAC Volleyball Championship. Only two of the nine sets they played were within five points. Dillard swept Tougaloo College and avenged last season's semifinal loss against Fisk and this season's loss against Talladega to claim the title. Sapp won Most Valuable Player after recording three double-doubles. Da Silva and Pender were selected to the All-Tournament Team.

Northwestern (30-0) finished NAIA National Runner-up last season. It won its second straight GPAC title. Jazlin Douma was selected as the GPAC Player of the Year with 448 kills and an average of 4.44 per set.

The winners of Saturday's matches will advance to the NAIA Volleyball National Championship Final Site in Sioux City, Iowa, from December 4-10. Talladega and Dillard are looking to advance for the first time in program history.

Four teams from the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) received automatic berths to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Championships in men's cross country, women's cross country, and women's volleyball.

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