LADY RAIDERS SHOW GROWTH DESPITE SWEEP BY CLEVELAND STATE

Roane State volleyball player number 6 jump-serves as bench teammates signal and cheer; number 23 waits near the sideline in a gym with blue bleachers.
Sophomore Kenlee Hayden serves against Cleveland State.
Box Score
September 18, 2025

Roane State's women's volleyball showed signs of progress even as the Lady Raiders fell to Cleveland State in straight sets Wednesday night in Harriman.

The Lady Raiders lost sets 25-19, 25-20, and 25-22, but despite the loss, head coach Jaymee Hannan said the match marked an important step for a roster still searching for its rhythm.

"For the first time, we looked comfortable," Hannan said. "We didn't seem as confused or frustrated. Even when we got down big in the third set, we fought back instead of shutting down. That's the improvement I've been waiting to see."

Hannan, in her first season leading the Lady Raiders, credited lineup tweaks for helping the team settle in. She shifted Kaitlyn Foster from the middle to an outside role to give Roane State a stronger arm on the edge, while moving Audrey Browne to the right side to bolster blocking.

The Lady Raiders also experimented with a fluid 5-1 system that rotated setters to create different passing and attacking looks.

"That flexibility makes opponents adjust their block on the fly," Hannan explained. "It gives us more options to attack."

Roane State's young roster – featuring multiple freshmen in key positions – has endured growing pains after Hannan joined the program late in the offseason. She said understanding how sophomores and newcomers mesh has taken time.

"Instead of starting with eight new faces, I felt like I had 16," Hannan said. "We've moved people into different roles from what they played in high school or club ball. It's taken a while, but tonight looked like we're figuring it out."

While the Lady Raiders' offense struggled, their energy drew praise from the bench as they clawed for rallies in the final set.

"This doesn't feel like a hard loss to me," Hannan added. "I'll wear it as a badge of honor because we finally looked like a team."

Roane State continues its early season stretch this weekend with a home contest against Forsyth Technical Community College. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.