BOWIE, MD (November 18, 2023) - The overall top-seeded Shaw University Lady Bears won the 2023 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Conference Tournament Championship after defeating the top-seeded Elizabeth City State University Lady Vikings of the Southern Division by a 3-1 final score Sunday afternoon inside A.C. Jordan Arena on the campus of Bowie State University.
This is Shaw’s third championship in the last seven years and fifth overall in program history.
With the win, Shaw earns an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament and improves to 30-5 overall. The Lady Vikings drop to a 20-13 record.
"I feel relieved. It's kind of like a monkey off our backs. We've come so close three years in a row, and to finally wrap it up is sweet. The first year, we had eight players and no one expected anything and we managed 17 wins. Then every year, we got better and better and closer and closer. This year, having a 30-win season, is awesome." -?Shaw Head Coach?Jonathan Paulk
SU won the first set, 25-20 but ECSU roared back to take set two (28-26) before Shaw won the next two sets by the scores of 25-18 in both the third and fourth sets, hitting a .239 as a team, tallying 59 kills and forcing the Lady Vikings to 20 hitting errors.
After a late surge in the first set, coming off a service error from the Lady Vikings in which the score depicted a 22-18 stance in favor of the Lady Bears, Shaw would go onto edge ECSU, 3-2 for the set win.
In the second set, both teams played tightly with a match-high of 17 ties and nine lead changes. However, Elizabeth City State scored three-straight including two kills from Elizabeth Kellum that gave the Lady Vikings the set win and tie within the match at one apiece.
The Lady Vikings owned a 7-4 lead to begin the third set and would maintain the surge until 13-point mark when Shaw rallied back to orchestrate a 6-0 run and 15-13 lead. The lead would change three times before the Lady Bears seized the lead for good again on another 6-0 spurt in route to a 9-1 scoring ratio, set win and 2-1 lead in the match.
Despite scoring the first point in the fourth set, Elizabeth City State would play from behind the rest of the way. The Lady Bears led by as many as seven points – its biggest lead to finish off the set, totaling 16 kills on a hitting percentage of .275 while holding the Lady Vikings to nine kills (.179 hitting).
"This [championship] ranks No. 1 among achievements in my volleyball career. We put in a lot of work and to see it come through is amazing."?Tournament MVP?Lauren Janok?who was the CIAA Setter of the Year.
Shaw Leaders: Lauren Janok - 45 assists, 14 digs; Noelani Beard - 19 kills; Lillian Carlson - 11 kills; Jasmine Culp - 15 digs.
Elizabeth City State Leaders: Elizabeth Kellum – 12 kills, 20 assists, 14 digs; Ashanti Williams – 10 kills, two blocks; Naijya Leggett – 21 digs, five assists; Kaleigh Sullivan – 14 assists
All-Tournament Team
Shaw
Lillian Carlson, Jr., Outside
Lauren Janok, Gr. Setter
Noelani Beard, Gr., Outside
Elizabeth City State
Simone Newell, Gr., Outside
Elizabeth Kellum, Sr., Right Side/Setter
St. Augustine’s
Kavlyn Giacomelli, Jr., Outside Hitter
Madison Jones, Jr., Middle Hitter
Fayetteville State
Nicole Akamine, Gr., Setter
Shaw will learn its fate during the NCAA tournament selections which will be announced on Monday, Nov. 20, exclusively on NCAA.com.
To get the latest updates on the CIAA, visit?theciaa.com. You can also like us on?Facebook,?follow us on?Twitter?and?Instagram?and on?Twitch. For all updates on the conference tournament, visit the?CIAA Volleyball Championship?page.