Dillard Crowned HBCUAC Volleyball Champions

The Bleu Devils defeated the Lady Tornadoes at the HBCUAC volleyball tournament.

Dillard Bleu Devils Volleyball Champions / CREDIT: HBCUAC

Bossier City, La. [November 13, 2024] - 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.

Both Dillard (20-8) and Talladega (25-9) will advance to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Volleyball Championship Opening Round which will be played on campus sites on November 23. The teams will find out their opponents and location of their matches during the selection show at noon on Monday which will air on the Urban Edge Network.

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HBCUAC Volleyball All-Tournament Team / Credit: HBCUAC

2024 HBCUAC All-Tournament Team

MVP: Vanae Sapp, Dillard

Sara Da Silva, Dillard

Trenity Pender, Dillard

Giovana Costarelli, Talladega

Taquoia Rounds, Talladega

Sydney Willis, Fisk

Ja’Niya Sanders, Philander Smith

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