WINSTON SALEM, Nc. - Bowie State battled Claflin University in a competitive four-set match Saturday morning at the CIAA Round-Up, ultimately falling, 3-1 (25-21, 23-25, 15-25, 19-25). The Bulldogs controlled the opening set after overcoming an 8-6 deficit, scoring six straight points to take a 12-8 lead. BSU maintained its advantage late and closed the set, 25-21, behind consecutive kills from Taylor Johnson.
Match 1 vs Claflin
To begin the game, Claflin moved ahead 8-6, the Bulldogs scored the next six points, with Christina San and Taylor Johnson delivering kills before Gabrielle Hale's block and a series of Claflin attack errors put BSU up 12-8. The Bulldogs pushed the lead to 15-10 on a Johnson kill and another Claflin error, but Claflin answered with four straight points to close the gap to 15-14. Madyson Brinson responded with a kill and teamed with Amara Pope on a block as BSU rebuilt a 17-14 edge, then San's kill helped move the set to 20-17. The Bulldogs stayed in front late, reached set point on Johnson's kill at 24-20 and closed the opening set 25-21 on another Johnson kill from Hale.
The Bulldogs continued to battle in the second set, pulling even at 10-10 before Claflin built a 19-14 advantage. BSU responded with seven of the next eight points to take a 21-20 lead, but Claflin rallied to win the set, 25-23. Claflin then jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the third set, though Bowie State twice cut the deficit to one point, including at 16-15. The Panthers closed the frame with nine straight points to take a 2-1 match lead.
In the fourth set, BSU stayed within striking distance early, with Dyllan Chandler, Abena Asomani-Martin and Spring Terry providing key kills. Claflin eventually extended its lead to 22-14, but the Bulldogs mounted a late 4-0 run to cut the deficit to 22-18 before the Panthers closed the match, 25-19. Johnson led Bowie State with 12 kills, five digs and one service ace, while Gabrielle Hale recorded 20 assists, three digs and one solo block. Asomani-Martin added nine kills, nine digs, two assists and one ace, while Mil'lanni Marte contributed three service aces and nine digs.
Match 2 vs Livingstone
Bowie St. matched Livingstone closely in several areas, finishing with 57 digs to Livingstone's 55 and serving eight aces with seven errors while Livingstone had nine aces and 10 errors. The larger separation came in the attack, where Livingstone hit .239 with 50 kills and 18 errors, compared with the Bulldogs' .135 with 45 kills and 27 errors, while also holding a 10-9 edge in total blocks.
The opening set stayed even through 7-7 before BSU moved ahead 10-7 on a Melisa Anacius kill, a Mil'lanni Marte ace and a Taylor Johnson kill. After Livingstone got back within 10-9, the Bulldogs answered with kills from Jy'Asha Cousins and Johnson, a block by Cousins and Payton Swinton, and a Gabrielle Hale ace to stretch the lead to 14-9, then later used back-to-back Swinton aces to go in front 20-16. Livingstone closed the gap and an Oliwia Jaroszewicz kill and a BSU attack error to take the set 25-23.
 Livingstone built an 8-4 lead early in the second set with a Masa Simovic kill, two BSU attack errors and an Oliwia Jaroszewicz kill. The Bulldogs got back within 8-7 behind a Livingstone service error, a Johnson kill and a Livingstone attack error, and after Livingstone made it 9-7, BSU won the next five points with kills by Abena Asomani-Martin, Hale and Johnson, plus a Hale-Anacius block and a Livingstone bad set. A service error brought set point and Cousins finished the Bulldogs' 25-20 set win with a kill from Hale.
 BSU started the third set with a block by Hale and Cousins and a Marte ace, then got a Hale kill from Asomani-Martin for a 3-1 lead. Livingstone scored the next four points to move ahead 5-3 and later built the margin to 13-7 behind kills from Oliwia Jaroszewicz, Mya Dalpiaz and Da'Maia Bryant, plus a Chloe Moore ace and a block by Hailey Henriquez and Bryant. Livingstone took the final three points, closing the set 25-13 on a Jaroszewicz ace.
 In the fourth set, BSU answered an early 6-3 deficit with a Swinton kill, a Swinton service ace and an Asomani-Martin kill to pull even at 6-6. Livingstone scored six straight points to move ahead 12-6, but the Bulldogs worked back with an Asomani-Martin kill, a Kimiko Evans ace and consecutive Cousins kills before two Livingstone attack errors tied it at 14-14. The set stayed tight from there, but ultimately, Mya Dalpiaz's kill and a block by Da'Maia Bryant and Henriquez closed the set at 25-21.
Up next, the BSU volleyball team remain in Raleigh, North Carolina, to face Fayetteville State and Winston Salem State on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
For the latest on Bowie State Athletics and its 14 varsity sport teams, visit BSUBulldogs.com and follow the Bulldogs on social media.
