August 21, 2025

Butte, Montana – The No. 21 Nelson University Lady Lions volleyball team opened the 2025 season in Butte, Montana on Thursday, August 21, competing in a pair of matches at the prestigious Big Sky Volleyball Challenge. Facing early adversity but responding with resilience, Nelson dropped its opener to Campbellsville University (Ky.) before bouncing back in emphatic fashion with a sweep of No. 24 William Carey University (Miss.).

Game 1: Campbellsville 3, Nelson 0
Nelson's season began against Campbellsville, a Tigers squad that entered the day at 3-1. The Lady Lions battled through stretches of momentum but couldn't find the consistency to close out sets, falling 25–10, 26–24, 25–20.

• Team Stats: Campbellsville outpaced Nelson in kills (41–28) and hitting percentage (.295 to .083).

• Bright Spots for Nelson: Samantha Moore led Nelson with 7 kills, while Hope Jones added 5 kills and 2 blocks. Defensively, Hailey Nixon anchored the back row with 10 digs.

• The second set was Nelson's strongest push, hitting .250 as a team and nearly evening the match before Campbellsville edged out the final rallies.

Game 2: No. 21 Nelson 3, No. 24 William Carey 0
If the morning matchup was about shaking off nerves, the afternoon match was about making a statement. Nelson roared back in dominant fashion, sweeping nationally ranked William Carey 25–21, 25–20, 25–21 for the first win of the Nick Moore era.

• Key Performances:

  • Samantha Moore was electric, tallying 10 kills on a .333 hitting clip while adding 6 digs.

  • Taylor Cavazos orchestrated the offense with 9 assists and chipped in 6 digs.

  • Mackenzie Smith provided balance at the net with 8 kills and 2 blocks, hitting an efficient .421.

• Team Stats: The Lady Lions hit .230 overall while out-digging the Crusaders 58–46. Nelson also recorded 5 team blocks and 35 assists in the balanced effort.

The sweep not only marked Nelson's first victory of the season but also Coach Nick Moore's first win as head coach of the Lady Lions, and it came on a national stage against a ranked opponent.

Next Up
The Lady Lions continue action Friday at the Big Sky Challenge in Butte, MT:

11 AM MDT – vs University of Providence (Mont.)

4 PM MDT – vs Carroll College (Mont.)

The Lady Lions showed flashes of their Top-25 caliber potential on day one in Montana. With momentum from their ranked sweep, Nelson looks to build on their opening day split as the Big Sky Challenge rolls on.

Nelson University (formerly SAGU) is a private Christian university, established in 1927 by P.C. Nelson. The University is located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas, and offers more than 70 associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees on campus or online. For more information, visit www.nelson.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-NELSON.