2021 RECAP: A year of "Firsts" for Lady Marauder Volleyball


ROCK HILL, South Carolina - While falling in a back-and-forth five set match to Albany State in the SIAC Tournament on Wednesday, the CSU community continues to reflect on a 2021 volleyball season as a year of many "firsts" for the Lady Marauder volleyball program.



REGULAR SEASON SUCCESS...


Hired in October of 2020, new CSU head volleyball coach Ray Lewis had to wait until September 3 of 2021 to take the court. In CSU's first match of the season, the program earned its first victory over Kentucky State (W 3-0) since becoming an NCAA Div. II member. CSU ultimately would go 3-1 against their rival from the Commonwealth state, including a 3-1 win to send in the SIAC tournament to send the Thorobreds home.


Throughout the 2021 season, CSU found consistent success against SIAC schools. The Lady Marauders finished with a 14-3 overall conference mark - earning a second seed in the SIAC tournament and the highest finish in the conference standings since joining the SIAC in 2015.


CSU's most notable non-conference performance came in an early October game against perennial G-MAC power Ashland (17-12; 13-3). On their home court, the Lady Marauders defeated the Eagles of Ashland  in four sets (25-27, 25-18, 25-21, 25-15) for their ever victory over AU. CSU would go on to earn emotional victory on Oct. 28 during Senior Night against UC-Clermont and a key road win over KSU to clinch the second seed in the SIAC on Oct. 29.




RECOGNITION WELL DESERVED...


Entering the SIAC Tournament, CSU earned its most All-SIAC selections as Jazmyne Walker and Ajanae' Cressey were selected to All-Conference First Team while Hailey White earned Second Team honors. Cressey was also named SIAC Freshman of the Year.


Lewis became the first CSU volleyball coach to earn Conference Coach of the Year honors.


Walker, an outside hitter from Las Vegas, Nevada, has been one of the most consistent offensive performers in the SIAC this season. After missing the first six matches of the year due to injury, Walker emerged as CSU's best offensive threat, leading the team with 321 kills and 365.5 points along with 24 service aces, 27 blocks and 205 digs during the regular season. Walker ranked among the top three in the SIAC in kills and kills per set with 3.78. Walker recorded 20 or more kills in five matches during the regular season, including a season-high 28 against Lane.


Cressey, a freshman outside hitter from Las Vegas, Nevada, finished the 2021 regular season with 314 total kills with an average of 3.05 kills per set. She ranked in the top five in kills in the SIAC. She has also accounted for 344 points, 33 blocks and 72 digs. Cressey recorded a season-high 18 kills twice in matches against Spring Hill and Tuskegee.


White, a 6'0 freshman from Tempe, Arizona, has accounted for 247 kills, 308 points, 32 service aces, 71 digs and a team best 43 blocks. White led CSU attackers and ranked No. 2 in the SIAC with a .328 hitting percentage. White recorded five matches of a .600 or better hitting percentage, including a season-best .889 against LeMoyne-Owen. White's regular season-high in kills was 19 in a 3-2 win over Kentucky State.


Lewis was voted by conference coaches and communication directors as the SIAC Coach of the Year after guiding a team primarily comprised of freshman and sophomores to the program's first 20+ win season since CSU became an exclusive member of NCAA Div. II. With Lewis as head coach, CSU went on to experience an overall win improvement of 14 wins compared to the 2019 season. CSU also experienced its first winning record overall in over two decades as well as its first ever .500+ winning percentage in conference play.



CSU'S TOURNAMENT RUN...

Entering the SIAC Tournament as the No. 2 seed from the West Division, the Lady Marauders won their opening match against Clark-Atlanta in three sets (25-11, 25-19, 25-16). Walker opened the tournament with a match-high 14 kills while setter Makyla Alia recorded 30 assists. In the absence of the team's regular starting libero Cristina Reyes, Tyra Barber stepped up with a team-best 12 digs in the victory as CSU advanced to face Albany State in the second round.


CSU suffered their first loss in the double elimination tournament to ASU, in four sets. ASU took the first two sets, 25-19 and 25-21. The Lady Marauders extended the match with a 25-20 win in the third set before ASU closed out the match with a 25-20 win in the fourth. Walker paced the CSU offense again with 18 kills while Cressey added 13 kills but CSU was hindered by 26 attacking errors while the Rams committed only 15.


With a blemish to their tournament record, CSU bounced back with a dominant three set victory over Benedict College with wins of 25-16, 25-15, and 25-21. Walker was impressive again with a .516 hitting percentage and a team-best 17 kills. Cressey had 11 kills and White finished with 10. Kamille Austin and Barber tied for the team lead with nine digs each as CSU advanced to play in the final day of the SIAC Tournament.


CSU would end up facing a fimilair oppnent in rival Kentucky State in an early morning match to start the final day of the tournament. After dropping the opening set to KSU, 25-22, the Lady Marauders regained momentum with a 28-26 win in set two and a 25-22 win in set three. CSU eliminated the Thorobreds with a 25-17 victory in the fourth set to win the match, 3-1.

Walker was once again the leading offensive attacker for the Lady Marauders with 19 kills. White finished with 13 kills and six blocks. Alia accounted for 50 assists. Kiarra Rosales and Barber matched each other for the team lead with 12 digs each.


Facing Albany State again with the winner advancing to the final against Spring Hill, CSU's run came to an end with a back-and-forth five set loss to ASU (25-16, 21-25, 25-20, 21-25, 12-15). Walker finished with her tournament-high 23 kills along with a team-best 23 digs. White recorded 13 kills and five blocks while Cressey added 11 kills.

Despite the loss, CSU's 2021 tournament run is the furthest the program has ever advanced in postseason play. The team's 23-13 overall record marks the best finish in the history of the program.

Box Scores from the 2021 SIAC Tournament:

Nov. 15 v. CAU (W 3-0) - https://maraudersports.com/.../clark.../boxscore/2140

Nov. 16 v. ASU (L 3-1) - https://maraudersports.com/.../albany-state.../boxscore/2141

Nov. 16 v. BC (W 3-0) - https://maraudersports.com/.../benedict.../boxscore/2142

Nov. 17 v. KSU (W 3-1) - https://maraudersports.com/.../kentucky.../boxscore/2143

Nov. 17 v. ASU (L 3-2) - https://maraudersports.com/.../albany-state.../boxscore/2144