NORFOLK, Va. — The Norfolk State volleyball team travels to Radford, Va., this weekend for the Radford Invitational, a three-match trip to Carilion Clinic Court at the Dedmon Center. The Spartans open against Bellarmine at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 18, before facing host Radford at 7 p.m. that evening and closing against UT Chattanooga at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19. All matches can be watched live on ESPN+.
MATCH INFORMATION
Vs. Bellarmine | Friday, Sept. 18 | 10 a.m. | Dedmon Center | ESPN+ | Live Stats
At Radford | Friday, Sept. 18 | 7 p.m. | Dedmon Center | ESPN+ | Live Stats
Vs. UT Chattanooga | Saturday, Sept. 19 | 1 p.m. | Dedmon Center | ESPN+ | Live Stats
Live stats for all three matches will be available through the tournament coverage page.
GILBERT ADDS A SECOND RECORD
Gabrielle Gilbert became Norfolk State's all-time career points leader in Tuesday's sweep of Bowie State, passing Charlotte Armstead's program record of 1,399.5 that had stood since 2012. The senior posted 15 kills and 20.0 points in the match and now has 1,414.5 for her career.
It was the second program record Gilbert has claimed in eight days. She became the all-time career kills leader at the UNCW Hampton Inn University Invitational on Sept. 11 and has since pushed that total to 1,229, well clear of Armstead's previous mark of 1,177. Gilbert also owns the school record for career attack attempts, a figure that now stands at 3,312.
A three-time All-MEAC First Team selection, Gilbert was the 2023 MEAC Rookie of the Year and the 2024 VaSID State Player of the Year. She holds the single-season school records for kills (408 in 2024), kills per set (4.04 in 2024), attack attempts (1,193 in 2025), points (473.0 in 2024) and points per set (4.68 in 2024).
SERVING SETS THE SPARTANS APART
Norfolk State ranks second in Division I in service aces per set at 2.70, trailing only UNC Asheville (2.98) among all 300-plus teams in the country. It is comfortably the highest mark in this weekend's field, ahead of Bellarmine (1.59), Chattanooga (1.58) and Radford (1.22). The Spartans have 89 aces in 33 sets; no other team in the event has more than 56 despite all three having played at least 32.
Jazeli Vandenburgh leads Norfolk State with 21 aces, with Jasmine Mataira at 17, Gilbert at 16 and Briana Ellis at 15.
ABOUT THE SPARTANS
Norfolk State is 3-6 after sweeping Bowie State on Tuesday to snap a five-match skid. The Spartans hit .239 in the match while holding the Bulldogs to .034, and the win pushed Norfolk State to 18-0 all-time in the series.
Gilbert leads the Spartans with 117 kills (3.55 per set) and a team-high 138.0 points while hitting .221. Kyleigh Moore ranks second with 75 kills, followed by Isis Castille with 39, Catori Crawford with 34 and Ava Berry with 32. Sophomore Reagan Chisholm has made an impact in limited action, hitting a team-best .381 with 12 kills across 14 sets.
Nehir Erimez leads the offense with 144 assists (4.36 per set), while Mataira has 108. Vandenburgh paces the defense with 109 digs (3.41 per set), and Berry leads at the net with 36.0 blocks (1.09 per set), followed by Ellis with 20.0.
ABOUT THE KNIGHTS
Bellarmine enters at 4-4 after sweeping Butler on Saturday in Louisville, rebounding from a four-set loss to the Bulldogs two nights earlier. An ASUN member, the Knights close their non-conference schedule at the Radford Invitational.
Bellarmine leads the tournament field in kills per set at 12.28 and digs per set at 14.25. Freshman Mady Yaden paces the Knights with 104 kills (3.35 per set), followed by Natalie Bland with 94 and a team-high 112.0 points. Erika Smith is hitting .300 with 60 kills, and Mya White has 49 in six matches. Setter Maddie Carnes averages 9.34 assists per set with 299 on the season while adding 78 digs and 11 aces. Libero Payton Parsons leads the defense with 122 digs (3.81 per set), and Mary Herman tops the Knights at the net with 31.0 blocks.
ABOUT THE HIGHLANDERS
Radford is 3-8 but arrives on a high note, having beaten MEAC member N.C. Central in five sets on Monday behind a season-high 14 service aces and a .329 team hitting percentage. The Big South program also owns a five-set win over Hampton in its season opener. Radford hosts the event for a second consecutive season and opens Big South play at High Point on Sept. 25.
Taryn Roberts leads the Highlanders with 123 kills while hitting .342, and her 30.0 blocks are the most by any player in the tournament field. Macie Potter has 88 kills and 131 digs, while Addison Cunnagin has 84 kills at a .216 clip and Aubrey Hatch has 74. Setter Lea Gage averages 7.39 assists per set with 340 on the year. Libero Mia Jannazzo leads Radford with 206 digs (4.68 per set) and a team-high 13 aces.
ABOUT THE MOCS
Chattanooga comes in at 4-5 after splitting a weekend in Charlotte, beating Presbyterian in four sets before falling to Queens and Buffalo. The Southern Conference program also swept Tennessee State and UT Martin and beat Jackson State in five. The Mocs open SoCon play against Wofford on Sept. 25.
Blocking is Chattanooga's strength — the Mocs have 67.0 total blocks to their opponents' 39.0. Kynli Kirkendoll leads the way with 33.0 while hitting .290 with 74 kills, and Jordin Glass has added 25.0 to go with a team-high 84 kills, a .262 percentage and 10 aces. Gracie Rose has 68 kills and Addison Walker 65. Setter Ashley Reynolds has 237 assists (7.18 per set) and leads the Mocs with 12 aces, while libero Caiti Barthel paces the defense with 146 digs (4.42 per set).
SERIES HISTORY
Radford leads its all-time series with Norfolk State, 4-1. UT Chattanooga is 1-0 against the Spartans. Friday's opener against Bellarmine will be the first meeting between the two programs.
UP NEXT
Norfolk State turns its attention to MEAC play next week, hosting Morgan State on Friday, Sept. 25, at 6 p.m. before welcoming Coppin State to Gill Gymnasium on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 1 p.m.
For complete coverage of Norfolk State Athletics, follow the Spartans on social media at @nsuspartans (X/Twitter), /NorfolkStateAthletics (Facebook), @NSUAthletics (Instagram) and @nsuathletics (YouTube), or visit the official home of Norfolk State Athletics at nsuspartans.com.
