WEST CHESTER, PA – The Lincoln University (PA) women's volleyball team wrapped up its opening weekend of the 2026 season Saturday with a pair of matches at the PSAC East Kickoff Volleyball Tournament inside Hollinger Field House.
The Lions fell in straight sets to Jefferson University in the morning before showing improvement in their weekend finale against Caldwell University. Lincoln finished the tournament 0-3 overall after opening the season Friday against host West Chester University.
Jefferson 3, Lincoln 0
Lincoln opened Saturday's action against Jefferson, falling 25-6, 25-12 and 25-11. The Rams produced 47 kills while hitting .482 for the match, compared to 14 kills for the Lions.
Niana Coar (Aberdeen, MD/) led the Lincoln attack with four kills on eight attempts and a .250 hitting percentage.
Audreynette Lydgate (Bowie, MD/Charles Herbert Flowers HS) and
Amira Billingsley (Glen Burnie, MD/) each added three kills, while
Yvette Mercedes (Columbia, MD/) contributed two. Coar and Mercedes also recorded one block assist apiece.
Charly Manley (Upper Marlboro, MD/Frederick Douglass HS) directed the Lions' offense with eight assists while adding four digs.
Alia Abdurrahman (Columbia, MD/) contributed three assists. Defensively,
Donavyn Morris (Chester, PA/) led Lincoln with seven digs, followed by Manley with four and
Elise Carter (Smyrna, DE/Smyrna HS) with three.
Lincoln showed its strongest offensive production in the second set, recording seven kills. The Lions battled throughout the frame before Jefferson pulled away for the 25-12 victory. Jefferson closed the match with 17 kills and a .500 hitting percentage in the third set to secure the sweep.
Alexa Pomeroy led Jefferson with 13 kills while hitting .600 and adding four service aces. Lyllah Sapp recorded a match-high 21 assists.
Caldwell 3, Lincoln 0
Lincoln returned to the court Saturday afternoon and turned in its strongest performance of the weekend despite falling to Caldwell in three sets, 25-20, 25-20 and 25-12.
The Lions made significant strides offensively and defensively against the Cougars, finishing with 20 kills, 19 assists, nine service aces, three team blocks and 46 digs. Lincoln nearly matched Caldwell's defensive production, as the Cougars finished with 47 digs.
Billingsley led the Lions offensively with six kills and added three block assists. Carter turned in an efficient performance with five kills on 13 attempts and just one error for a team-best .308 hitting percentage. She also contributed five digs, two block assists and a service ace. Coar added four kills and a block assist.
Morris provided a strong all-around performance for Lincoln, recording a match-high 18 digs, four service aces and four assists. Manley dished out a team-high 13 assists while adding seven digs, while
Jhordynn Rowson (Virginia Beach , VA/) finished with eight digs and an ace. Abdurrahman added two service aces.
Lincoln's serving game was particularly effective against Caldwell. After recording one ace in Friday's season opener and none against Jefferson, the Lions produced nine against the Cougars. Morris accounted for four of those aces to lead the team.
The Lions battled Caldwell closely through the first two sets. Lincoln recorded nine kills in the opening frame and eight in the second, while holding the Cougars to a .167 hitting percentage in set two. Caldwell eventually pulled away in both frames for identical 25-20 victories before taking the third set, 25-12.
Marley Rudolph led Caldwell with 15 kills and nine digs, while Meredith Gatz added 12 kills. Sienna Reddell finished with 24 assists for the Cougars.
Weekend Takeaways
Lincoln showed progress throughout its three-match opening weekend, with its best overall statistical performance coming in Saturday's finale against Caldwell. The Lions increased their kill total from nine against West Chester to 14 against Jefferson and 20 against Caldwell.
Morris continued to anchor the Lincoln defense, following her 14-dig performance against West Chester with seven digs against Jefferson and 18 against Caldwell. Billingsley also helped pace the Lions offensively during the weekend, including a team-high six kills against Caldwell.
Up Next
Lincoln (0-3) will get another opportunity against Caldwell when the Lions travel to Caldwell, New Jersey, on
Wednesday, September 2. The match is scheduled for 6 p.m. and begins a three-match road stretch for the Lions.
Fans can follow Lincoln University women's volleyball throughout the 2026 season at lulions.com.
