RALEIGH, N.C. – The Lady Bears volleyball team showed championship composure on Monday night inside historic C.C. Spaulding Gymnasium, overcoming a two-set hole to defeat Winston-Salem State, 3-2 (16-25, 24-26, 25-23, 25-22, 15-11). The Lady Bears used strong late-set execution, balanced offense, and stellar back-row defense to complete the comeback and remain unbeaten in CIAA play.

Set One: WSSU 25, Shaw 16

The opening frame belonged to the Rams as they jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Shaw's attack never found rhythm, managing just seven kills against six errors and hitting only .026. Despite a few bright moments from Makayla Brown and Asia Olivera, WSSU closed on a 10–4 run highlighted by timely kills from Holiday Ellis and Angelica Turnage to claim the first set comfortably.

Set Two: WSSU 26, Shaw 24

The second set turned into a back-and-forth battle. Shaw surged midway through with service pressure from Kalia Morris and Justus Alexander, while Brown delivered several powerful swings on the outside. The Lady Bears even held set point at 24-23, but WSSU responded with back-to-back kills and took advantage of a late Shaw error to steal the set, 26-24, grabbing a 2-0 match lead.

Set Three: Shaw 25, WSSU 23

Needing an answer, the Lady Bears tightened their play in the third. Brown was nearly unstoppable with six kills in the frame, and Olivera chipped in key points at the net. WSSU pulled within one at 24-23, but Shaw sealed the win on a Brown kill to stay alive. The Lady Bears posted 14 kills in the set marking their best mark to that point in the match.

Set Four: Shaw 25, WSSU 22

Momentum fully swung to the home side in the fourth. Shaw's offense clicked with 17 kills on a .351 hitting percentage. Brown and Khamare Steppe delivered crucial points late, while Morris anchored the defense with nine digs in the frame. A pair of clutch side-outs down the stretch allowed Shaw to hold off a WSSU push and close out the set, evening the match at 2-2.

Set Five: Shaw 15, WSSU 11

The deciding set showcased Shaw at its sharpest. The Lady Bears hit an incredible .556 with 11 kills and just one error, attacking with confidence from start to finish. Brown and Steppe again carried the offense, while Morris provided steady serving and defensive stops. A Brown kill on match point sent the Shaw bench and crowd into celebration as the Lady Bears capped the comeback, 15-11.

Match Leaders

• MaKayla Brown: 25 kills, 14 digs, 27 points

• Kalia Morris: 27 digs, 4 assists, 4 aces

• Jakya Moore: 46 assists, 7 digs, 1 ace

• Asia Olivera: 8 kills, 3 blocks

• Team Totals: 62 kills, 89 digs, 10 aces, .198 hitting percentage

Shaw improves to 4-2 overall and 2-0 in CIAA play, while Winston-Salem State falls to 4-7, 1-1 CIAA.

Up Next
The Lady Bears return to action this weekend at the first CIAA Round-Up of the season, hosted by Fayetteville State University.