Tuskegee hosted the preeminent volleyball program in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Thursday night, with Spring Hill entering the contest undefeated in its last 191 regular season matches and a 214-1 overall mark since beginning a conference schedule in 2014.
The Golden Tigers, though, nearly pulled a shocker when they became the first conference team to even take a set off the Badgers in 2026. Despite needing just five points to gain the huge win, Tuskegee could not close the door as Spring Hill came from behind to take a five-set thriller (25-19, 25-10, 20-15, 19-25, 15-10) at Chappie James Arena.
Spring Hill looked as strong as ever in taking the first two sets before Tuskegee found its footing in the third. Seven straight points by the Golden Tigers - which included two kills by
Najwa Williams (10 kills)Â - gave them a 16-8 lead en route to becoming the first SIAC team to take a regular-season set from the Badgers away from home (Lane in Frankfort, Ky.) in exactly four years and just the second team (Miles in 2025) to win any regular-season set in league play during that span. But TU was not close to being satisfied.
Down by two early in the fourth set, the Badgers made a slew of attack errors while
Sahnee Dillahunt-Nedd (13 assists, six digs) added a kill, a service ace and an assist to Williams as part of an 11-1 run that gave the Golden Tigers a 14-6 advantage.
Tamara Cooper (seven kills) had three kills in the set as Tuskegee would even the match and become just the second team to ever take Spring Hill to a fifth set, joining Edward Waters in last season's SIAC Championship Game.
Looking to join Kentucky State in 2015 as the only league team to upend the Badgers, Tuskegee played with confidence early in the deciding set.
Carmyn Lawson (11 kills, 15 digs) followed a kill with a service ace to give the Golden Tigers an 8-3 advantage. A Spring Hill service error pushed the lead to 10-8 and left TU within reach of the monumental win.
But that is where the door slammed shut on the scoreboard for the Golden Tigers.As if some type of switch was flipped, the Badgers quickly caught fire and ultimately melted any upset hopes by Tuskegee. Spring Hill would score the final seven points of the match to take home its 192nd straight conference victory despite being pushed to the limit by Tuskegee.
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Helena Pommeret (four kills, two solo blocks),
Ta'Mya Hicks (13 assists, eight digs, four kills), Jordyn James (five kills, .444) and
Sakiah Logan (match-high 33 digs) all played well for the Golden Tigers, who are back in action on Oct. 16-17 when they participate in the Miles Cluster in Birmingham, Ala.
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