HAMMOND, La.| The Jackson State volleyball team battled to the wire but fell just short in its season opener, dropping a five-set match to Louisiana Tech (22–25, 26–24, 25–22, 17–25, 11–15) on Friday morning at the University Center.
How It Happened
The two teams traded momentum throughout the nearly two-and-a-half-hour contest, with 22 ties and 11 lead changes keeping the neutral-site crowd on edge. After splitting the first two sets, Jackson State surged ahead in the third behind timely kills from Jayden James and Cierra Gilbert, but the Lady Techsters answered by dominating the fourth frame to force a decisive fifth. Louisiana Tech then closed strong, hitting .375 in the final set to seal the win.
Inside the Numbers
- Jayden James paced the Tigers with 14 kills, 11 digs, and three blocks, finishing with a team-best 17.5 points.
- Cierra Gilbert added nine kills, three aces, and four blocks for 14.0 points.
- Hope Briggs chipped in eight kills and five block assists, while Karys Dove quarterbacked the offense with 21 assists and two service aces.
- Defensively, Kymorah Carter anchored the back row with 18 digs.
- Jailen Hurley led LA Tech with 11 kills, hitting .250 on the day.
- Charlize Williams was a force at the net, recording 12 blocks to go with three kills.
- Gabrielle Hairston tallied eight kills and eight blocks, while setter Kaeden Robinson dished out 10 assists and added 15 digs.
- The Lady Techsters' block proved decisive, finishing with 21 team rejections compared to JSU's 10.
- JSU held the edge in kills (54–50) and service aces (9–10) but was undone by 39 attack errors.
- LA Tech's size at the net limited Jackson State's efficiency to .098 hitting, while the Lady Techsters posted a more consistent .191.
- JSU looked poised for victory after taking a 2–1 set lead, but Tech's poise in the fourth and fifth proved the difference.
Game 2- JSU-0 ULM-3
Jackson State dropped its second match of the season Friday afternoon, falling in straight sets to ULM (20–25, 21–25, 21–25) at the University Center.
The match was competitive throughout, with 16 ties and nine lead changes across the three sets. JSU showed stretches of strong play, especially early in each frame, but ULM's balanced attack and steady serving proved too much to overcome.
Inside the Numbers
- Hope Briggs paced the Tigers with 10 kills, five digs, and two block assists (12 points).
- Jayden James contributed seven kills, four digs, and an ace.
- Shelby Zanders chipped in five kills, an ace, and two blocks, while Kyra Dove anchored the defense at the net with five block assists.
- Naija Gadis directed the offense with 18 assists and four digs, while Kymorah Carter led the back row with nine digs.
Up Next
JSU will close out the tournament with a matchup against the home team, Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday. First serve is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
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