ALBANY, Ga. – The Wildcats made their mark on the 2024 season a memorable one. Fort Valley State made their presence felt and played tough in a tightly-contested match, but fell in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women's Volleyball Semifinals, 3-0, against Albany State.

FVSU led in each of the Semifinal's sets with the first two points in the first two sets and 3-1 early edge in the third. After falling behind by five points midway through the opening set, the Wildcats pulled back to 23-20 before the Lady Rams posted the final two tallies for the 25-20 win.

Trailing 22-20 in set number two, FVSU recorded the next four points with Nia Mack and Benaye Kyle teaming on a block before Mack killed the final of the points for a 24-22 lead. ASU, though, came back with the following four points for the 26-24 set win.

Down 16-13 in Set 3, Dakotah Holmes killed points around an Antonique Coleman solo block to tie the set, 16-16. ASU answered with the next five points and, despite FVSU working back to 21-19, ended the match with a 25-21 score.

With its first SIAC Tournament appearance in 16 years, FVSU (15-8) split its two matches and saw a program, which made a 6.5-game improvement from a year ago, on the rise under new head coach Chymaine Guinyard.

Holmes, SIAC Freshman of the Year, downed a team-best 10 kills to go with seven digs, two blocks, two assists and an ace. Kyle contributed nine kills, 11 digs, a pair of blocks and an ace.

All-SIAC First Team middle blocker Coleman, hit six kills with one error in 12 attacks at a .417 rate to go with six total blocks, three solo, and two digs. Laila Hilton chipped in six kills, while Brooke Matthews and Mack had four and three kills.

Laiani McCullough added a double-double with 17 assists and 11 digs with an ace. Jahyra Thomas finished with 17 assists, a kill and four digs.

Libero Sarah Rosario rounded out the Wildcats with 14 digs and an ace.

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