Tallahassee, Fla.| The Jackson State volleyball team opened Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play with a 3–1 victory over Florida A&M Friday night at the Lawson Center. The Tigers dropped the opening set but stormed back to take the next three frames, winning 17–25, 25–18, 25–18, 25–20.

After a slow start in the first set, Jackson State (2–9, 1–0 SWAC) regrouped behind a balanced attack and improved efficiency. The Tigers hit .252 as a team with 57 total kills, led by Jayden James, who posted 17 kills, 12 digs, and two aces for a match-high 20.5 points.

How It Happened

·       Jackson State opened with a quick kill from Hope Briggs in the first set, but service errors allowed Florida A&M to settle in.

·       The Rattlers surged behind Iyonnie Sanford, who delivered back-to-back aces and a kill during a 7–0 run that pushed FAMU ahead 8–4.

·       JSU fought back with kills from Katejion Robinson and Jayden James, but FAMU's front line, led by Farah Farooq and LaDonna Trantham, controlled the net.

·       A late Brandi Boston block extended the margin, and Trantham closed the set with a kill for a 25–17 Rattler win.

·       The Tigers regrouped quickly in set two as Briggs and James fueled the offense early, while Cierra Gilbert added a kill and a service ace to give JSU a 13–9 edge.

·       Florida A&M tried to respond with kills from Farooq and Trantham, but Maya Reeves came off the bench and sparked a run with a service ace and steady serving.

·       James scored four kills in the frame, and Briggs added three more as JSU pulled away.

·       The set ended on a FAMU attack error, leveling the match at one set apiece.

·       In the third set, James dominated with five kills and two service aces, while Gilbert and Briggs combined for timely kills.

·       FAMU tied the set at 12–12, but JSU responded with a 6–0 run capped by a James kill and back-to-back blocks from Gilbert and James.

·       JSU's defense held FAMU to just nine kills and forced six attack errors.

·       An ace from Gilbert pushed the score to 24–17, and Kyra Dove sealed it with a kill on set point.

·       Florida A&M tried to extend the match, building an 8–3 lead thanks to a service ace from Sydney Humes and kills from Trantham going into the fourth set.

·       Jackson State chipped away, using a block by Briggs and Gilbert to close the gap.

·       Kyra Dove and James each contributed multiple kills, and Carter's digs extended key rallies.

·       Down the stretch, Briggs delivered back-to-back kills to give JSU control at 23–19.

·       On match point, Karys Dove delivered a clutch service ace to seal the 3–1 victory for the Tigers.

Inside the Numbers

·       Hope Briggs finished with 12 kills on .455 hitting.

·       Kyra Dove contributed nine kills at a .471 clip.

·       Setter Karys Dove directed the offense with 27 assists, and Naija Gadis chipped in 16 helpers.

·       Defensively, JSU recorded 64 digs, with Kymorah Carter collecting 15 and James adding 12.

·       Florida A&M (2–10, 0–1 SWAC) was led by LaDonna Trantham with 15 kills and Farah Farooq with 8.

·       The Rattlers hit just .129 as a team and committed 22 attack errors.

Up Next

The Tigers will continue on the road with a visit to Bethune-Cookman on Sunday. First serve is set for 11 a.m. CT/12 p.m. ET.

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