CIAA Volleyball Championship Quarterfinals Deliver Upsets, Five-Set Drama and Semifinal Showdowns
Bowie State Stuns Virginia State as Fayetteville State, Livingstone and Elizabeth City State Advance to Final Four
ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. (November 10, 2026) – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA®) opened its 47th Volleyball Championship on Monday, November 9, at the Rocky Mount Event Center with four exciting quarterfinal matchups that featured a major upset, a dramatic five-set comeback and impressive performances from several All-Conference honorees.
Seventh-seeded Bowie State University delivered the day's biggest surprise, knocking off second-seeded Virginia State University in four sets. Fourth-seeded Elizabeth City State University battled back to defeat fifth-seeded Winston-Salem State University in five sets, while third-seeded Livingstone College and top-seeded Fayetteville State University also secured victories to advance to Tuesday's semifinals.
Quarterfinal Results
| Matchup |
Final |
| No. 4 Elizabeth City State vs. No. 5 Winston-Salem State |
ECSU wins 3–2 |
| No. 3 Livingstone vs. No. 6 Shaw |
Livingstone wins 3–1 |
| No. 2 Virginia State vs. No. 7 Bowie State |
Bowie State wins 3–1 |
| No. 1 Fayetteville State vs. No. 8 Bluefield State |
Fayetteville State wins 3–0 |
Elizabeth City State Rallies Past Winston-Salem State in Five Sets
No. 4 Elizabeth City State def. No. 5 Winston-Salem State, 3–2
24–26, 25–20, 22–25, 25–17, 15–10
Elizabeth City State University opened the championship with a thrilling five-set victory over Winston-Salem State University, overcoming a two-set-to-one deficit to advance to the semifinal round.
After dropping the third set, the Vikings responded with a 25–17 victory in the fourth before closing out the deciding fifth set, 15–10.
Elizabeth City State finished with 73 kills compared to Winston-Salem State's 52.
CIAA All-Rookie Team selection Jazzmyn Davis led the Vikings with a double-double of 19 kills and 10 digs, while fellow All-Rookie honoree Valeria Miranda delivered an outstanding defensive performance with 38 digs.
The victory improved Elizabeth City State's overall record to 18–18 and secured a semifinal matchup against top-seeded Fayetteville State.
Livingstone Continues Strong Season With Four-Set Victory Over Shaw
No. 3 Livingstone def. No. 6 Shaw, 3–1
Third-seeded Livingstone College continued its impressive season with a four-set victory over Shaw University, advancing to the CIAA Volleyball Championship semifinals.
The Blue Bears finished with 52 kills and a .259 hitting percentage, demonstrating the offensive balance that helped establish them among the conference's top programs throughout the regular season.
CIAA Rookie of the Year Hailey Henriquez led Livingstone with 12 kills, while Second Team All-Conference selection Da'Maia Bryant and Destiny Drakeford contributed 10 kills each. Bryant and Drakeford also recorded four blocks apiece.
Masa Simovic directed the offense with 23 assists, while Second Team All-Conference libero Tialofa Alofipo led the defensive effort with 20 digs. Bryant and Alofipo each added three service aces.
The Blue Bears advance to face seventh-seeded Bowie State in Tuesday's semifinal round.
Bowie State Stuns Virginia State to Secure Semifinal Berth
No. 7 Bowie State def. No. 2 Virginia State, 3–1
18–25, 25–19, 25–16, 25–22
Seventh-seeded Bowie State University delivered the quarterfinal round's biggest upset, defeating second-seeded Virginia State University in four sets to advance to the CIAA Volleyball Championship semifinals.
After dropping the opening set, the Bulldogs responded with three consecutive victories, using timely offense and strong defensive play at the net to eliminate the Trojans.
Bowie State finished with 45 kills and nine total blocks.
Payton Swinton led the Bulldogs with 14 kills, 16 digs and 15.5 points. Mil'lanni Marte added a team-high 20 digs and three service aces.
CIAA Setter of the Year Gabrielle Hale contributed 29 assists, 14 digs, four kills and four blocks, helping direct the Bulldogs' offense throughout the match.
First Team All-Conference middle hitter Jy'Asha Cousins delivered a strong defensive performance with seven blocks, including two solo blocks, while adding five kills.
Bowie State, which improved to 14–15 overall, advances to face third-seeded Livingstone College in Tuesday's semifinal round.
Fayetteville State Sweeps Bluefield State to Advance
No. 1 Fayetteville State def. No. 8 Bluefield State, 3–0
25–20, 25–13, 25–18
Top-seeded Fayetteville State University opened championship play with a commanding straight-set victory over eighth-seeded Bluefield State University.
The Broncos demonstrated their offensive depth and defensive strength, finishing with 47 kills, 45 assists and 77 digs while limiting Bluefield State to a .061 hitting percentage.
Second Team All-Conference selection Kemyah Harris led Fayetteville State with 12 kills and a .414 hitting percentage. Amori Johnson, CIAA All-Rookie Team selection McKenna Miller, Destiny Washington and Erin Johnson each added seven kills.
Setters Melissa Gonzalez and Second Team All-Conference selection Giovanna Teixeira contributed 18 assists apiece, while Jasmine Culp anchored the defensive effort with 13 digs.
First Team All-Conference middle hitter Mya Hejl recorded six blocks to help control play at the net.
Bluefield State was led offensively by Soniya Garner with seven kills, while Kaileigh Solis recorded a match-high 17 digs.
The victory improved Fayetteville State's record to 23–4 overall and secured a semifinal matchup against Elizabeth City State.
CIAA Volleyball Championship Semifinal Matchups
The championship continues Tuesday, November 10, with two semifinal contests at the Rocky Mount Event Center.
| Time (ET) |
Semifinal Matchup |
| 2:00 PM |
No. 3 Livingstone vs. No. 7 Bowie State |
| 4:30 PM |
No. 1 Fayetteville State vs. No. 4 Elizabeth City State |
The winners will advance to the 2026 CIAA Volleyball Championship Final on Wednesday, November 11, where the conference champion will be crowned.
Fans can watch championship action on the CIAA Sports Network at theciaasn.com.
Admission is FREE, with parking available for $10.
For additional championship information, visit theciaa.com.
Media Contact
Matisse S. Lee
Senior Associate Commissioner, Communications & Marketing, Special Projects / SWA
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
mlee@theciaa.com
About the CIAA
Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first, and longest running, African American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 15 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.
#CIAA | #CIAAVolleyball | #MadeittotheMount | #CIAA4Life