WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Bowie State (6-8), (4-5 CIAA) defeated Fayetteville State (10-3), (7-2 CIAA) 3-2 on Sunday. The Bulldogs dropped the first two sets before winning the final three, closing the match with set scores of 21-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-23, 15-13.
 Match 1 vs Fayetteville State
The Bulldogs had to work back into multiple sets, starting with an early push that cut a 16-9 deficit to 22-20 in the opening set. The middle of the match turned on sustained scoring stretches, including a four-point service run in the second set and a 7-of-8 rally surge in the third after BSU trailed 7-6. That third-set run moved the Bulldogs ahead 13-8, and BSU later converted set point at 26-24. A similar swing came in the fourth, when the Bulldogs moved from down 7-5 to ahead 10-8, including four straight service points, before closing the set at 25-23. When the match reached a fifth set, BSU converted from 14-13 to 15-13.
 The Bulldogs had to work back into multiple sets, starting with an early push that cut a 16-9 deficit to 22-20 in the opening set. The middle of the match turned on sustained scoring stretches, including a four-point service run in the second set and a 7-of-8 rally surge in the third after BSU trailed 7-6. That third-set run moved the Bulldogs ahead 13-8, and BSU later converted set point at 26-24. A similar swing came in the fourth, when the Bulldogs moved from down 7-5 to ahead 10-8, including four straight service points, before closing the set at 25-23. When the match reached a fifth set, BSU converted from 14-13 to 15-13.
 Johnson led BSU with 14 kills and 17.5 points, adding two service aces and two blocks. Hale finished with 39 assists, three aces, nine digs and three blocks. Swinton recorded a team-high 22 digs and added seven kills, three aces and two blocks. Anacius tallied nine kills while hitting .350 and led the Bulldogs with four blocks.
 Match 2 vs Winston Salem State
BSU created an early service run in the opening set, starting from 0-0 with four straight service points to move ahead 4-0. The Bulldogs also produced a response in the second set, turning a 12-10 deficit into a 15-13 lead during the middle of the frame. Those stretches gave BSU footholds in the match, but Winston-Salem finished with advantages in several full-match categories.
 BSU recorded 34 kills to Winston-Salem's 39, but Winston-Salem hit .236 compared with the Bulldogs' .150 and committed fewer attack errors. Winston-Salem also held advantages at the service line and defensively, finishing with six aces and four service errors to BSU's three aces and eight errors, along with 42 digs and five total blocks compared with the Bulldogs' 36 digs and three blocks.
 Johnson led the Bulldogs with eight kills and nine points, adding five digs, three assists and a service ace. Hale recorded 22 assists with a service ace and three digs. Swinton posted seven kills and a team-high nine digs, along with a block assist. Cousins added five kills and led the front row with three total blocks, including two solo blocks.
Up next, the BSU volleyball team travels to Raleigh, N.C., to face Shaw University on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 6 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.
