SUNO Topples Louisiana Christian 3-0 in Return to The Castle

by: Kimora Martin, Intern

Set 1- SUNO 25, LCU 21  

Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) opened the match strong, taking Set 1 with a confident 25–21 win over Louisiana Christian. After a close start, SUNO began to separate thanks to a balanced offensive attack. Kendrece Dozier and Samaria Berry led the charge early, with Ja'Myra Tyler and Cai Hales adding key kills. Despite several service and attack errors from both teams, SUNO maintained momentum with smart plays and clutch hitting. A critical turning point came when SUNO went on a late run, pushing the score to 24–17 behind kills from Mallory Wills and Jasmia Hartwell. LCU fought back with a few points — including a Wills kill and a SUNO setting error — but SUNO closed it out with a kill from  Tyler, assisted by Trinity Bloodworth.  

Set 2 – Suno 26, LCU 24 

Set 2 was a thriller that went into extra points, but once again SUNO pulled through, edging out Louisiana Christian 26–24 to take a 2-0 match lead. This set was a back-and-forth battle. LCU came out sharper, with Jakayla Jimcoily, Holly Rowe, and Jessica Smith leading an early surge. The teams were neck-and-neck midway through the set, trading points from 16–16 all the way up to 24–24. After SUNO had a 24–21 lead, LCU rallied — capitalizing on a bad set by Uriah Larry and an attack error from Tyler to tie it at 24–24. But once again, SUNO held firm under pressure. A kill from Tyler (set by Bloodworth) followed by a service error from LCU's Madison Danley clinched the set for SUNO.  

Set 3 – SUNO 25, LCU 15 

Southern University at New Orleans left no doubt in the third and final set, dominating Louisiana Christian 25–15 to complete the 3-0 sweep in the match. 

SUNO came out on fire, opening the set on a 4-0 run, with Berry providing back-to-back kills and Bloodworth adding a service ace. The early burst stunned LCU and set the tone for the rest of the set. SUNO kept the pressure high with clean execution and strong defense. Cai Hales, Berry, and Dozier were nearly unstoppable at the net, as LCU struggled to find rhythm offensively. Attack errors and miscommunications plagued LCU, who trailed 13–6 midway through the set. 

SUNO's front-row defense came alive again, with Tyler and Larry teaming up for big blocks, while Dozier, Berry, and Hales racked up kills. A service ace from Samaria Berry and an error-ridden stretch by LCU saw SUNO pull away to 21–11. 

Although LCU managed a few late points — including a kill from Hannah Riggens and a SUNO error — it was too little, too late. A kill from Riggens made it 24–15, but a service error from Angelina Medrano on the next play ended the match, giving SUNO the set 25–15 and the match 3–0. 

The Knights were led offensively by Berry with 11 kills and Dozier with 8 kills. This duo was a wall at the net, combining for seven total blocks. Berry hit .381 on the night, set up mostly by Bloodworth who dished 23 assists against the Wildcats. The Knights' backcourt stood tall, with Armoni Harris grabbing 29 digs, followed by Hales with 15 and Bloodworth with 12. 

SUNO returns to The Castle Saturday, September 27 for an early afternoon, conference matchup against the Tougaloo Bulldogs. First serve is set for 12 p.m. and fans are invited to throw on their favorite western attire for Rodeo and Western Day.