MEMPHIS, Tenn. — October 24, 2025 — The Central State Marauders women's volleyball delivered a strong opening day at the SIAC West Cluster, picking up two key wins over Miles Golden Bears women's volleyball and Tuskegee Golden Tigers women's volleyball to move above .500 in both overall and conference play.
Central State opened the day with a 3–0 sweep over Miles, then battled back from a set down to earn a 3–1 victory over Tuskegee in the afternoon.
Game 1: Marauders Sweep Miles 3–0
Final: Central State 3, Miles 0 (25–21, 25–17, 25–23)
Record: CSU improves to 10–8 (6–6 SIAC)
The Marauders opened their day with an efficient offensive performance, racking up 45 kills and hitting .261 as a team. Junior outside hitter Maya Hendricks led the way with 17 kills, 7 digs, and 2 aces. Zahra Coates added 9 kills and 10 digs, while Braelynn Reese made her presence felt at the net with 8 kills and a match-high 6 blocks.
Setter Brooke Morris dished out 20 assists with 2 aces, and Nevaeh Brownlee contributed 14 assists as the Marauders controlled the match from start to finish. Defensively, CSU totaled 11 blocks and held Miles to a .102 hitting percentage.
Game 2: Marauders Rally Past Tuskegee 3–1
Final: Central State 3, Tuskegee 1 (20–25, 25–23, 25–12, 25–19)
Record: CSU improves to 11–8 (7–6 SIAC)
After dropping the opening set, Central State responded with energy and precision to take three straight sets over Tuskegee. Hendricks once again led the charge with 14 kills, 11 digs, and 5 aces. Jasmin Churchill added 9 kills and 3 blocks, while Coates anchored the defense with 13 digs and 8 kills.
The Marauders dominated from the service line, totaling 16 aces — including a season-high 7 from Morris. Brownlee added 3 aces and matched Morris with 19 assists. Defensively, Holston and Hendricks each recorded 11 digs.
The turning point came in the third set, where the Marauders stormed to a 25–12 win behind extended serving runs and crisp execution. They closed the match with a 25–19 fourth-set victory.
Stat Leaders — Day One
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Kills: Maya Hendricks (31), Jasmin Churchill (9), Zahra Coates (17), Braelynn Reese (8)
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Aces: Brooke Morris (9), Hendricks (7), Brownlee (5)
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Blocks: Reese (6), Churchill (3), Camacho Diaz (3)
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Assists: Morris (39), Brownlee (33)
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Digs: Coates (23), Holston (23), Hendricks (18)