Charlotte, NC (November 4, 2025) – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association announces its Week Nine Volleyball Players of the Week, honoring four student athletes who delivered standout performances as teams continue to battle for postseason seeding ahead of the 2025 CIAA Volleyball Championship.
Fayetteville State leads the weekly honors with three selections, while Shaw claims one top spot.
WEEK NINE CIAA VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Offensive Player of the Week
Symone Morris, Fayetteville State
Morris anchored the Fayetteville State attack with back-to-back double doubles, powering the Broncos to a 2–0 week. She opened with 18 kills and 14 digs in a four-set win over Claflin, adding three service aces and two blocks for a match high of 20.0 points. Morris stayed hot in a five-set victory against Shaw, registering 17 kills and 10 digs while adding another ace and block assist. She finished the week with 35 kills, 24 digs, four aces, and three blocks, averaging 4.38 kills and 3.0 digs per set while remaining one of the conference's most versatile two-way hitters.
Setter of the Week
Giovanna Teixeira, Fayetteville State
Teixeira continued to engineer the Broncos offense with efficiency and tempo, finishing the week with 76 total assists across two wins. She opened with 42 assists, 10 digs, and two service aces in a five-set victory over Shaw, then followed with 34 assists, six digs, and two block assists in a four-set win against Claflin. Teixeira also added two more aces to finish the week with four, while guiding Fayetteville State to a combined .333 team hitting percentage. The senior setter remains one of the CIAA’s most consistent facilitators, averaging 9.50 assists per set on the week.
Defensive Player of the Week
Kalia Morris, Shaw
Morris anchored the Shaw defense with another elite performance on the back row, finishing the week with 41 digs across eight sets for an impressive 5.12 digs per set. She opened with 23 digs, four assists, and three service aces against Fayetteville State, while recording zero reception errors in a five-set battle. Morris followed with 18 digs and two assists in a straight set win over Livingstone, helping hold the Blue Bears to a negative team hitting percentage. The senior libero continues to rank among the CIAA’s most reliable passers and high-volume defenders.
Rookie of the Week
Amori Johnson, Fayetteville State
Johnson had a breakout week for the Broncos, combining for 22 kills over two matches while hitting an impressive .690. The freshman posted a career high 14 kills on 17 attempts (.706) in a four-set win over Claflin, then followed with eight kills on 12 swings (.667) in a five-set victory against Shaw. She also added two block assists and five digs, finishing the week with 25.0 total points and a steady presence at the net.
Postseason on the Horizon
The 2025 CIAA Volleyball Championship is set for November 20–23, hosted by Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland. The top eight teams in the conference will advance to the championship field, competing for the CIAA title and the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Women’s Volleyball Championship.
All matches will be played inside A.C. Jordan Arena on the campus of Bowie State University, located at 14000 Jericho Park Road, Bowie, MD 20715. Admission to the championship is free, and fans are encouraged to attend and support CIAA volleyball throughout the weekend.
Full championship details, including seeding, match times, and bracket information will be released following the conclusion of regular season play.
Media Contact:
Anna M. Butzlaff
Associate Commissioner, Strategic Communications
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
abutzlaff@theciaa.com
About the CIAA
Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is the first and longest running African American athletic conference in the United States and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a 2019 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, for both 2018 and 2019.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member institutions: Bowie State University, Bluefield State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston Salem State University.
For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.