Fisk Volleyball Dominance Continues as They Roll Rust 3-0
NASHVILLE, TN - The Fisk University Lady Bulldogs volleyball team delivered another commanding performance Friday night, sweeping Rust College 3-0 in Henderson Johnson Arena and extending their remarkable run of dominance.
Fisk improved to 22-4 overall and remained undefeated in HBCU Athletic Conference East Division play. The Lady Bulldogs have not suffered a loss since August, continuing a streak of consistent excellence that has defined their 2026 campaign. The scores reflected total control: 25-5, 25-21, and 25-11.
Head Coach Jessica Enderle, in her ninth season leading the program she has transformed since taking over in 2018, praised the depth her roster showed. “I think we got our whole roster in tonight,” Enderle said. “The younger athletes that we have on our roster, they’ve really been challenging our starting roster in the gym, and so it’s nice to see them come out here, develop their confidence on the court. I think it’s only going to make us stronger come tournament time.”
The first set was a clinic in efficiency. After an early exchange of points, Fisk rattled off a long run behind service pressure and clean attacking. La’Niya Lumpkin delivered multiple service aces and kills, while Reagan Jones and Shelby Chamblin added key points. Rust called timeout trailing 2-12, but the deficit only grew as Fisk closed the set 25-5.
The second set proved more competitive early. Rust built a brief lead, but Fisk settled in behind the setting of Kaia Barnett and contributions from Chennille McClelland, Jayla Bond, and Chamblin. Service aces from Bond and strong blocking helped the Lady Bulldogs pull away to a 25-21 win. Bond, a sophomore middle blocker, noted the team’s growth. “From the team that we had last year, we had a pretty good team last year, but I think this year we’re more focused. And we know the job that we want to complete. We just have a steady mindset on what it is that we’re trying to do.”
In the third set Fisk again asserted control quickly. Jones, McClelland, and Bond combined for timely kills while the defense forced Rust into attack errors. Barnett’s distribution kept the attack balanced, and Fisk closed it out 25-11 for the sweep.
Enderle has built a culture that refuses to take success for granted. She is one of the few remaining connected to the program’s earlier struggles. “I started off with this program when we did not win much,” she said. “I told our girls the stories of where we started, and how every year we had to just build and grind and continue to elevate. Every win that we have every year is a big deal, and it’s still a big deal, so we try not to take those for granted.”
That mindset has produced sustained excellence. Under Enderle the Lady Bulldogs have collected conference and regional honors, produced All-Americans, and in 2025 went undefeated in regular-season conference play en route to a program-record win total and the school’s first NAIA postseason appearance. The current 22-4 start and undefeated division mark continue that upward trajectory.
The tough preseason schedule has paid dividends. “We go very heavy on our preseason schedule and try to play some of the top ranked teams in the country,” Enderle said. “I think for this year we were very prepared. Having that under our belt going into the conference tournament is something that hopefully will benefit us.”
Looking ahead, Fisk hosts Tougaloo College on Saturday in Henderson Johnson Arena. The Lady Bulldogs close the regular season mostly at home, with challenging matches against Cumberland and Freed-Hardeman still to come. Enderle is already treating next week as a dress rehearsal for the conference tournament. “We are trying to set next week in our minds that that is going to be the conference tournament,” she said. “That’s the practice prep that we’re going to have.”
Bond echoed the team’s hunger for more. “I’m just ready to wear my rings.”
With depth, focus, and a coach who remembers every hard-earned step of the program’s rise, Fisk volleyball remains firmly in control of its destiny. The best part of the season, Enderle believes, is still ahead.
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