After defeating Virginia State University in the quarterfinal round of the CIAA Volleyball Tournament on Tuesday, Nov. 14, the team is headed to Bowie, MD, where they will play Elizabeth City State in the semifinals.
The Lady Falcons got a send-off Thursday when students gathered in front of Emery Gymnasium to cheer them and encourage them. The game will be aired on https://theciaasn.com/
The Nov. 14 win was the team’s 11th victory in its last 14 games and it showed how, in her third year as the volleyball head coach, Tacara Moxley has brought new life to the team. In 2023, the team reached the CIAA tournament for the third straight year.
The achievement was against-the-odds; the Lady Falcons were picked to finish last in the conference in preseason rankings but have outdone their doubters and made it to the CIAA semifinals.
The Falcons may not have started strong, losing their first seven games, but they finished stronger than any team in the conference.
“The secret was to allow the team to build more chemistry as the season went on because this is a newer team than what I’m accustomed to from transfers and new players,” Coach Moxley said. The team also needed time to get accustomed to her coaching style, the coach said.
The team’s 12-6 record in conference play during the regular season (13-12 overall) allowed Saint Saint Augustine’s to have the privilege of hosting a playoff game for the first time in a number of years.
“I believe this team has the potential to win the championship because throughout the entirety of the year they have had multiple players win multiple awards throughout the season – not the same player every week but different players from each week on a week-to-week basis,” Moxley said.
The Lady Falcons are led by Madison Jones with 365.5 points as of Nov. 16, and La’Tavia Brayeen, with 246 points. Sydney Moore had 62 saves.
One thing the Lady Falcons have been done well this season is protect the nest; the team had a 6-1 record in Emery Gymnasium.
Now they will try to take that winning attitude to Bowie, MD.
— Brenton Chapple
