BEREA, Ky. —
Kentucky State women's volleyball opened the 2025 season with three matches at the Berea College Invitational, showing grit and improvement despite falling in each contest.
On Friday night, the Thorobreds dropped their opener in straight sets to Kentucky Christian (25-23, 25-19, 25-16) Senior outside hitter
Randi Neal led the way with nine kills, while junior middle
Cydne Clayton added 10 kills and three service aces. Defensively, libero
Zora Nooks paced the back row with 13 digs.
The following morning, KSU squared off with Spalding University and fell 3-0 (25-20, 25-13, 25-22). The Thorobreds found their rhythm offensively, hitting .256 as a team.
Leah Tubbs posted an efficient .462 attack percentage with seven kills, while
Sydnee Breda-Nixon contributed four kills and two blocks. Freshman setter
Sienna Stewart dished out 13 assists, and Nooks chipped in seven digs.
KSU closed the weekend against host Berea College, forcing four sets before falling 3-1 (25-21, 25-18, 25-11, 25-17). The Thorobreds earned their first set win of the season behind strong play from
Laila Wheaton, who tallied eight kills at a .467 clip. Breda-Nixon and Neal combined for 17 kills, while Nooks anchored the defense with 10 digs. Setter
Jada Knight directed the offense with 21 assists.
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ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of historically black colleges and universities with headquarters in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College, and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors nine men's and seven women's sports and is a proud member of the NCAA Division II. For more information, visit www.thesiac.com.