FAIRMONT, WV – The Bowie State women's volleyball team opened up the 2026 slate with a split day one of the Fairmont State Classic Friday afternoon. The Bulldogs were swept by Fairmont State during the opener in straight sets (23-25, 18-25, 19-25) but was able to bounce back with a 5-set triumph (25-17, 25-23, 20-25, 23-25, 15-8) against East Stroudsburg inside the Joe Retton Arena.
Match 1 | Bowie State vs. Fairmont State
The first set began with Fairmont State and the Bulldogs exchanging early points, keeping the score tight. Bowie State managed to take a 14-9 lead, with key plays including a block by
Taylor Johnson and
Melisa Anacius to halt Fairmont State's momentum. Fairmont State rallied back, led by Natalie Zemba and her attacking prowess, turning the score in their favor with a 22-17 lead. Despite a late surge by BSU, highlighted by a service ace from
Mil'lanni Marte that brought the score to 24-23, a service error ended the comeback attempt, giving Fairmont State a 25-23 set win.
BSU and Fairmont State engaged in a competitive third set with both teams exchanging leads. The Bulldogs initially surged ahead with a kill from
Abena Asomani-Martin and a block-assisted attack error by Kailyn Connelly, reaching a 2-0 lead. FSU responded with a series of points, including a service ace by Elena Thompson, to pull ahead 10-8. Despite a strong effort by BSU, marked by
Payton Swinton's kill and
Taylor Johnson's service ace, Fairmont State maintained its edge.
Gabrielle Hale orchestrated the offense with 23 assists, contributing significantly to the Bulldogs' overall performance while Johnson added six kills and nine digs.
Melisa Anacius posted three total blocks, adding five points to the team's tally while Swinton recorded six kills and two digs, complementing her teammates' efforts in the match.
Match 2 | Bowie State vs. East Stroudsburg
In the bounce back game, the Bulldogs edged East Stroudsburg in a thrilling 3-2 victory. Bowie State secured the win by taking the decisive fifth set 15-8, overcoming a comeback attempt by ESU.
In the first set, a brief back-and-forth occurred, BSU established a three-point lead at 6-3 with kills from Johnson and Swinton, both assisted by Hale. The Warriors closed the gap with a couple of service aces by Lainey Lichota, tying the score at 6-6. However, the Bulldogs responded with a decisive sequence, taking a 14-11 lead, highlighted by a kill from
Jy'Asha Cousins and a block by Cousins and Hale. Bowie State maintained their momentum, culminating in a set-ending kill by Swinton, securing the first set 25-17.
BSU captured the second set with a 25-23 victory over East Stroudsburg. Ultimately concluding with BSU capitalizing on attack errors from ESU to secure the final points.
East Stroudsburg made the most of strong start in the third set, extending its lead with a series of decisive plays. Kelly Crites initiated the momentum with a kill, and Allison Flynn contributed back-to-back service aces to push the score to 6-2. East Stroudsburg ultimately secured the set at 25-20, with the final point coming from a block by Dupre and Ruggiero on Johnson's attack.
East Stroudsburg claimed a narrow victory in the fourth set, defeating BSU 25-23. Jadyn Orava was pivotal for the Warriors, contributing multiple kills including one from Georgia Stevens at 5-4 and another at 10-6. This would lead to a nail biting fifth, and final set.
Bowie State opened the decisive fifth set with a strong start, capitalizing on an attack error by ESU's Ruggiero to take an early lead. Asomani-Martin contributed significantly, registering consecutive kills from Hale's assists to extend the lead to 7-5. Swinton played a critical role, serving an ace and benefiting from multiple attack errors by the Warriors, leading to a 10-5 advantage. Despite a brief response from ESU, the Bulldogs maintained their momentum, with Johnson securing the final point with a kill from Hale, concluding the set at 15-8.
Swinton led the team with 15 kills and added four service aces. Hale distributed 41 assists and was a key player at the net with six total blocks. Anacius contributed defensively with six block assists, accumulating a total of six blocks.
Mil'lanni Marte anchored the back row with 18 digs.
The Bulldogs will play another pair of games tomorrow and attempt to take both before heading home on the road.
Next Up
8/29 vs. Anderson | 10 a.m. |
Live Stats |
Live Video
8/29 vs. Lees-McRae | 4 p.m.|
Live Stats |
Live Video
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State Athletics and its 14 varsity sport teams, visit BSUBulldogs.com.
