RALEIGH, N.C. (Sept. 7) - Saint Augustine's University (SAU) played collegiate volleyball for the first time in two years at the SAU Quad Invitational, which it hosted Tuesday.

Most sports were canceled at all CIAA member institutions, including SAU, for the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Lady Falcons opened this season against three different opponents at Emery Gymnasium. They hoped for a better outcome in all three matches, but Head Coach Tacara Moxey was impressed with her team, nonetheless.

Moxey lauded the effort despite the three-set losses in each match. To her, this is the start of the rebuilding process for the Lady Falcons, who own 18 CIAA conference titles, the most in league history.

"I was proud of our team considering we haven't played in two years," said Moxey, who was elevated to full-time head coach after being named interim head coach in 2019. "Our effort was tremendous, and I expect our team to improve over the course of the season."

In the opening match, the Lady Falcons faced undefeated West Virginia State (4-0 overall), which is expected to win its division in the Mountain East Conference. The Yellow Jackets topped SAU 25-6, 25-13, 25-14 and Shaw 25-12, 25-14, 25-19 in back-to-back matches.

Deandra Small (Jr./St. Philip, Barbados) paced the Lady Falcons with four kills, one assist and three digs against West Virginia State. Zakiya Freeman (Fr./Riverdale, GA) had four kills and seven assists and Janina Mayers (Sr./Christ Church, Barbados) tallied 14 digs.

SAU played perhaps its best stretch of volleyball against Bluefield State in the day's third match. The Lady Falcons led much of the first set but the Big Blue took charge late for a 25-18 win. The Big Blue (1-2 overall) claimed the next two sets 25-12 and 25-14 for its first win in three years.

Tionna Graham (Jr./Portmore, Jamaica) finished with seven kills, one ace and one block for the Lady Falcons. Small added five kills and nine digs and Madison Smith (Jr./Detroit, MI) collected 17 digs. Freeman had six assists, nine digs and one ace. 

The fourth and final match of the Invitational pitted crosstown rivals SAU and Shaw. The Bears (1-2 overall) captured the first two sets by identical 25-14 scores, but the Lady Falcons didn't quit. Sydney Moore (So./West Bloomfield, MI) sparked an 8-0 rally to knot the score at 15-15. She had five aces in the run, including four straight at one point.

The Bears went on a run of their own, however, and claimed the third set 25-19 for the victory.

Moore totaled four kills, seven assists and five digs in addition to five aces against Shaw. Freeman added four kills and five assists and Mayers added nine digs, three assists and two aces.

The Lady Falcons (0-3 overall) are back in action next weekend in the West Virginia State Invitational on Sept. 17-18 in Institute, WVa. Their opponents are Indiana (Pa.), West Virginia State (twice) and Kentucky State.