LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. — The Lincoln University volleyball team faces a busy stretch of conference competition this week, traveling to Virginia State on Monday, October 12, at 6 p.m., Chestnut Hill on Wednesday, October 14 at 7 p.m., before returning to Virginia for six matches at CIAA Round-Up II, October 16–18 in Ettrick. Monday's match will be played at Virginia State's Multipurpose Center.

The Lions will look to build on a competitive performance against Virginia Union last Thursday. Lincoln remained within four points in each set of the 25–21, 25–22, 25–22 setback. Elise Carter (Smyrna, DE/Smyrna HS) led the attack with eight kills and a .438 hitting percentage, while Charly Manley (Upper Marlboro, MD/Frederick Douglass HS) distributed 19 assists and added three digs and a service ace.

Scouting Virginia State
Virginia State presents a challenging conference matchup after winning all six matches at the first CIAA Round-Up. The Trojans defeated Fayetteville State and Winston-Salem State in five sets during the event and closed the weekend with four-set victories over Claflin and Livingstone.

Outside hitter Gracie Darville and libero Kellee Craig, both Preseason All-CIAA selections, provide experience for the Trojans. Lincoln will look to establish consistent serve reception, limit attacking errors and turn defensive stops into scoring opportunities against a Virginia State team selected third in the conference's preseason poll.

Scouting Chestnut Hill

Lincoln travels to Chestnut Hill College on Wednesday, October 14, for a 7 p.m. nonconference matchup inside Sorgenti Arena in Philadelphia. The Griffins will be playing their second match in as many nights following Tuesday's visit to Holy Family.

Chestnut Hill's most recent outing featured a five-set battle at Georgian Court on October 7. After dropping the opening two sets, the Griffins rallied to win the third and fourth, including a 32–30 fourth-set victory, before falling in the deciding set. Chestnut Hill finished with 58 kills and 98 digs, demonstrating its ability to extend rallies and recover from an early deficit.

Macayla Lindner and Alex Crespin are attacking threats to watch. Lindner recorded a match-high 22 kills and nine digs against Georgian Court, while Crespin contributed 19 kills and 20 digs. Setter Sofia Rodriguez directed the offense with 50 assists and 10 digs, and Rachel Mace anchored the back row with 35 digs.

For Lincoln, consistent passing and disciplined defensive coverage will be key against the Griffins' attack. The Lions will look to apply service pressure, limit unforced errors and turn extended rallies into scoring opportunities as they prepare for the six-match CIAA Round-Up II weekend.

CIAA Round-Up II
The Lions will face six familiar opponents during the three-day event, with two matches scheduled each day. All times are Eastern.

Date	Opponent	Time
Friday, October 16	Bluefield State	11 a.m.
Friday, October 16	Claflin	7 p.m.
Saturday, October 17	Livingstone	1 p.m.
Saturday, October 17	Fayetteville State	7 p.m.
Sunday, October 18	Winston-Salem State	1 p.m.
Sunday, October 18	Johnson C. Smith	5 p.m.

Lincoln's first meeting with these teams produced several encouraging individual and team performances. Manley totaled 74 assists and 37 digs during Round-Up I, while Donavyn Morris (Chester, PA/) collected 52 digs and six service aces. The return matchups give the Lions an opportunity to apply lessons from that weekend and improve their consistency across consecutive matches.

A Look at the Round-Up Opponents
Bluefield State: Lincoln will aim to build on its strongest blocking performance from the first round-up. The Lions recorded seven team blocks against Bluefield State, with Carter, Yvette Mercedes (Columbia, MD/) and Amira Billingsley (Glen Burnie, MD/) contributing three blocks apiece. Lincoln also pushed the Big Blue in a closely contested 25–22 second set.

Claflin: The Panthers feature Preseason All-CIAA selections Aryanna Connell and Grayson Graham. Their experienced lineup will test Lincoln's defensive coverage and ability to sustain its offense.

Livingstone: Preseason All-CIAA right-side hitter Da'Maia Bryant is a player to watch for the Blue Bears. Carter provided an efficient attacking performance in the teams' first meeting, finishing with six kills and a .278 hitting percentage.

Fayetteville State: The defending CIAA champion was selected first in the preseason poll and features setter Giovanna Teixeira and middle hitter Mya Hejl, both Preseason All-CIAA selections. Lincoln will look to generate pressure from the service line after recording five aces in the first meeting, including three from Morris.

Winston-Salem State: The Rams were picked fourth in the conference and led the league with three preseason selections: Kamiyah Wilson, Holiday Ellis and Aria Caldwell. Lincoln will need disciplined blocking and steady back-row coverage against their attacking options.

Johnson C. Smith: Lincoln closed Round-Up I with its highest offensive output of that weekend against the Golden Bulls, registering 27 kills and 48 digs. Billingsley led with eight kills, Manley handed out 21 assists and Morris recorded 14 digs. The Lions will look to carry that production into Sunday's finale.

Up Next
Between Monday's conference match and the round-up, Lincoln visits Chestnut Hill on Wednesday, October 14, at 7 p.m. Following the weekend in Virginia, the Lions travel to Bowie State on Thursday, October 22, for a 6 p.m. CIAA matchup.