SUNO Volleyball Falls to Philander Smith in Four Sets at The Castle

Southern University at New Orleans volleyball battled hard but ultimately dropped a 3-1 decision to Philander Smith University on Saturday afternoon inside The Castle. The Knights moved to 1-8 on the season and 0-2 in conference play with the setback.

After falling 25-15 in the opening set, SUNO responded with a determined second frame. Behind strong net play from Samaria Berry and Taszia Adkinson, the Knights stormed back to even the match with a 25-21 victory, giving the home crowd plenty to cheer about.

Philander Smith regained control in the third, racing out to a 7-0 lead before closing the set 25-12. Despite a late push by the Knights in the fourth—highlighted by back-to-back service aces from Cai Hales and a series of kills from Berry and Kendrece Dozier—the Panthers secured the match with a 25-17 finish.

Adkinson paced SUNO offensively with nine kills, 22 digs, and 12 assists, nearly recording a triple-double. Berry added six kills and a team-best seven blocks, while Armoni Harris anchored the back row with an impressive 35 digs. Malaysia Hudson and Hannah Cornelious also chipped in with timely kills and defensive stops.

SUNO finished the match with 30 total kills, 90 digs, and 20 block assists, showcasing effort and resilience against a balanced Philander Smith attack led by Ja'Niya Sanders (13 kills) and Maya Jones (12 kills).

Next up for the Knights is a road trip to Texas to battle division foes Paul Quinn (Sep. 19) and Huston-Tillotson (Sep. 20).