VINCENNES, Ind. – Wallace State volleyball faced two of its toughest challenges of the season on Saturday at the Blazer Classic, falling to NJCAA Division I opponents Vincennes University and nationally-ranked Mineral Area College.
The Lions dropped their first match to Vincennes, 3-1 (16-25, 17-25, 25-17, 22-25). Wallace State rebounded in the third set but was unable to force a decisive fifth.
In their second match of the day, the Lions pushed No. 17 Mineral Area (Mo.) to five sets before falling 3-2 (20-25, 20-25, 25-20, 25-22, 7-15). After dropping the first two sets, Wallace State stormed back to even the match, forcing a winner-take-all fifth before the Cardinals closed out the victory.
Head coach Randy Daniel said the Lions embraced the challenge against two talented Division I programs.
“We made adjustments and were competitive at times, but the size of those two teams was hard to handle,” Daniel said. “Kenzie Noles and Cheyenne both played well for us all weekend.”
For their efforts, Makenzie Noles and Cheyenne Lucas were each named to the All-Tournament Team.
Wallace State (11-2) returns home this week to resume ACCC play as the Lions host Lawson State on Tuesday (5:00 pm), Bevill State on Wednesday (4:00 pm), and a doubleheader with Northwest Shoals on Thursday (4:00 pm). The Lions continue their push through the 2025 season.
