BOCA RATON, Fla. — The Fort Valley State University women's volleyball team faced a challenging three-match stretch in Florida, competing against three teams from the Sunshine State Conference — Nova Southeastern, Palm Beach Atlantic and Lynn — on September 11-12.

Although the Wildcats were unable to secure a victory during the weekend, the three matches provided valuable opportunities for Fort Valley State to compete against established programs while showcasing several individual performances and areas of continued growth.

Fort Valley State opened the weekend Friday afternoon against Nova Southeastern at the de Hoernle Sports & Cultural Center. The Wildcats dropped the match, 3-0, but produced 20 kills, 31 digs, five service aces and five total blocks.

Dakotah Holmes led the Wildcat attack with six kills, while Caytlyn Sanford added five and Tanyla Farley contributed four. Reagan Mann directed the offense with 14 assists and added three digs. Defensively, Holmes and Lataya Mitchell each recorded six digs, while Mashayla Collins paced the Wildcats with eight digs and three service aces.

Fort Valley State returned to action Saturday morning against Palm Beach Atlantic. The Wildcats again fell in three sets but improved their offensive production, finishing with 23 kills, 21 assists, 25 digs, five total blocks and one service ace.

Shamora Scott led all Wildcats with 12 kills on 27 attacks, while Morgan Ansley added four kills and hit .333. Collins contributed three kills and four digs, while Antonia Brewer made her presence felt at the net with four total blocks. Mann recorded 19 assists to guide the Wildcat offense, and Scott added five digs.

The weekend concluded Saturday afternoon against Lynn, which entered the match with a 7-1 record. Fort Valley State finished with 20 kills, 19 assists, 25 digs and two total blocks in the three-set matchup.

Scott once again provided the offensive spark, recording 11 kills on 24 attacks while hitting .292. Mann finished with a team-high 15 assists, while Collins led the defensive effort with nine digs. Naoma Yancey added eight digs and recorded one kill on one attack, while Brewer contributed a kill and one solo block.

Across the three matches, the Wildcats accumulated 63 kills, 89 assists, 81 digs, 12 service aces and 12 total blocks, with several players stepping into key roles throughout the weekend.

Scott led the Wildcats with 24 kills over the three-match stretch, while Mann finished with 48 assists. Collins recorded 21 digs and four service aces, while Brewer led the team with six total blocks.

The weekend also provided Fort Valley State with an opportunity to test itself against a high level of competition. Nova Southeastern, Palm Beach Atlantic and Lynn entered their respective matchups with strong records, giving the Wildcats valuable experience that can be carried forward as the season progresses.

For Fort Valley State, the focus now turns toward taking the lessons from the weekend and continuing to build.

The statistics tell the story of a team working to establish consistency. The individual performances highlight the talent within the roster. And the competition provided the Wildcats with another opportunity to grow together.

The battle continues.