HUNTSVILLE, ALA. — Jackson State University is headed to the SWAC Championship Tournament match after a turbulent five-set win over Alabama State on Saturday afternoon.

The semifinal match featured 35 total tie scores, and 16 lead changes throughout the match. Alabama State took the first set with a final score of 25-21. Both teams landed 11 kills in the match opener, but ASU was more efficient, out-hitting the Tigers with a percentage of .206 to the Tigers' .048.

Jackson State's hitters took the momentum back in the second set, earning 14 kills on 31 attacks (.258 percent), and had a sideout percentage of 65%. Half of the kills in the second set came from Alexis Williams.

The momentum continued through the third set, as the Tigers won with a final score of 25-18, and holding Alabama State to a hitting percentage of .167, their lowest of the match.

The Jackson State offense was more spread out in the third set of the match, with Williams and Olivia Flanagan both earning four kills each, and Marina Bianchi Brito and Jylen Whitten both adding three kills.

Alabama State took the fourth set nailbiter with a final score of 25-20, which had 10 total tie scores and six lead changes.

The fifth set started with a kill by Taila Gaines to tie the match at one-point each. The Tigers went up 5-2 on a pair of kills by Williams, and multiple errors by the ASU squad before a 3-1 scoring run increased their lead and brought the set score to 8-3. Alabama State went on a 6-1 scoring run of their own to tie the match at 9-points all, and the two teams traded points until they were tied at 12. A Jylen Whitten kill gave the Tigers their 13th point of the match, and Alabama State would score two additional points before Whitten landed the final kill of the match to win with a score of 15-13.

Alexis Williams finished the semifinal match with a double-double, scoring 26 points on 20 kills, 14 digs, five service aces, and two block assists.  Olivia Flanagan and Jylen Whitten added 17 and 15 kills respectively. Damassy Thompson motored the offense in yet anything match, recording a season-high 57 assists.

Defensively, three Tigers finished in double-figures for digs. Freshman libero Trinity Bryant led the defense with 17 digs.

The Tigers will compete in the SWAC Tournament Championship match on Sunday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. against the winner of the second semifinal match between Univ. Arkansas- Pine Bluff and Florida A&M University. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.

You can follow the squad on Twitter (@GoJSUTigersVB), Instagram (@gojsutigersvb), and Facebook (Jackson State Volleyball) for all things JSU volleyball.