ELON – The Elon University volleyball team rallied from a 2-0 deficit but ultimately fell in five sets to Bethune-Cookman, 3-2 (23-25, 21-25, 25-22, 25-13, 10-15), on Saturday in the final match of the Aggie/Phoenix Invitational at Schar Center.
 
Elon (0-2) finished with 60 kills, led by Clara Simmons, Cameron Lanier and Simrin Carlsen, who each tallied 12. Setter April Rice distributed 48 assists and added eight digs. Defensively, Carlsen collected a team-high 28 digs, while Kyla Johnson chipped in seven kills and five blocks.
 
Bethune-Cookman (2-1) managed 42 kills on the night, but leaned heavily on its blocking game, posting 11 team blocks compared to Elon's seven. Amya Jennings notched nine kills and 18 digs, while Tiyanna Preston added 10 kills. Setter Nola Hemphill paced the Wildcats with 21 assists.
 
THE RUNDOWN

• Fueled by three Simmons kills, Elon opened the first set with an 8-4 lead. The Phoenix pushed its advantage to 17-12 after an attack error, but Bethune-Cookman responded with a 6-2 run to cut the deficit to 19-18. A Lanier kill made it 20-18, but the Wildcats answered with a 4-0 run to go up 22-20. Elon tied it at 22-all on kills from Caroline Berlekamp and Simmons, but Bethune-Cookman closed on a 3-1 spurt to take the set, 25-23.
• The Wildcats carried momentum into the second, leading 13-10 after a Kaleigh Williams service ace. Elon responded with a 5-2 run, capped by a Berlekamp ace, to move ahead 15-14. After trading points, the Phoenix held a 16-15 edge before Bethune-Cookman rattled off five straight to make it 20-16. Elon cut into the margin with a Johnson kill and a Wildcat service error, but another 4-0 run gave Bethune-Cookman set point, and the visitors held off a late Phoenix rally to secure a 25-21 win and a 2-0 lead.
• Bethune-Cookman jumped ahead 8-4 in the third set before Elon responded with six straight points to lead 10-8. The Wildcats regained control at 12-10, but the Phoenix went on another surge, highlighted by Carlsen's back-to-back kills and a Brower ace, to take a 17-14 lead. After a 20-20 tie, Elon closed with a decisive 4-0 run to claim the set, 25-22.
• In the fourth, Elon turned an early 6-4 deficit into a 14-7 advantage with a 10-1 run. The Phoenix kept rolling, stretching the margin to 20-10 after a Carlsen kill before finishing the set with a commanding 25-13 win to force a fifth.
• The deciding set saw Elon take a quick 1-0 lead on a Bethune-Cookman attack error, but the Wildcats answered with a 5-3 advantage. The Phoenix pulled even at 5-5 on kills from Anna Sewell and Lanier, but Bethune-Cookman responded with a 4-0 run to go up 9-5. Elon cut the margin to 12-9, but the Wildcats closed it out with three of the final four points for a 15-10 win.

NOTES & STATS

• Tonight was the second all-time meeting between Elon and Bethune-Cookman.
• Carlsen's 28 digs were a career-high for the Edison, N.J., native. Prior to tonight's match, Carlsen's career-high was 21 digs that she set last season at Johns Hopkins versus Susquehanna.
• Shannon O'Laughlin also set a new career-best with 23 digs as did Casey Brower, who added 21. Overall, Elon had 103 digs in the contest, its most since having 101 digs at Robert Morris on Aug. 30, 2019.
• Elon held the Wildcats to a .070 hitting percentage with the Phoenix posting a .128 hitting percentage of its own. 

UP NEXT
The Phoenix travels to Appalachian State on Tuesday, Sept. 2, to begin a seven-match road swing. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Boone with the match streaming on ESPN+
 
STAY POSTED
For further coverage of Elon volleyball, follow the Phoenix on X (@ElonVB) and Instagram (@ElonVB).