CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. | The Jackson State volleyball team open its 2026 campaign with a tough morning loss against Kansas City. The Tigers shook back in game two of the tournament and defeated Austin Peay 3-2 on their home court.
Game 1: Kansas City, 3 JSU, 0
JSU showed plenty of fight in its 2026 season opener Friday morning, battling Kansas City throughout three sets before ultimately falling 3-0 (25-14, 25-23, 25-22) at the Winfield Dunn Center.
The Tigers, who trailed by double digits at different points in the match, continued to compete and found their rhythm as the contest progressed. After being held to 14 points in the opening set, Jackson State responded with a strong second set and pushed Kansas City to the wire in the third.
Jackson State's offense improved significantly as the match went on. The Tigers recorded 16 kills in the second set while hitting .111, then produced their best attacking percentage of the afternoon in the third set, hitting .242 with 11 kills. Overall, JSU finished with 35 kills and 48 digs.
Hope Briggs led the Tigers offensively with 12 kills on 27 attacks, finishing with a .296 hitting percentage and 12 total points. Sophia McKenzie added nine kills and 11 points, while Jada Constanza contributed two kills and Shelby Zanders added two kills.
Naija Gadis helped direct the Jackson State attack with 14 assists, while Kayla Troutman added 11 assists. Giannelle Asomani provided a strong defensive presence with a team-high 18 digs, and McKenzie added seven digs.
The Tigers' strongest stretch came in the third set. After Kansas City opened a 16-8 advantage, Jackson State battled back, scoring six of the next nine points to pull within 16-14. JSU continued to apply pressure, eventually tying the set at 20-20 on a service ace from McKenzie. The Tigers then stayed within striking distance at 21-21 and 22-22 before Kansas City closed out the match.
Jackson State also showed its ability to create momentum in the second set, erasing an early deficit and pulling even at 7-7 before continuing to battle throughout the frame. The Tigers later mounted another late push, scoring three consecutive points to cut Kansas City's lead to 24-23 before the Roos secured the set.
Game 2: JSU, 3 Austin Peay, 2
Jackson State volleyball delivered a gritty road performance Friday night, rallying past Austin Peay, 3-2 (25-22, 19-25, 25-22, 23-25, 15-11), at the Winfield Dunn Center.
The Tigers showed resilience from the opening serve, winning three of the five sets and saving their best volleyball for the decisive fifth set. Jackson State closed the match with a 15-11 victory in the final frame, securing the hard-fought road win and improving to 1-1 on the young season.
Hope Briggs led the Tigers' offensive attack with a match-high 16 kills while hitting an impressive .333. She also added a block to finish with 16.5 points. Naija Gadis turned in an all-around performance with 24 assists, 11 digs and two kills, helping Jackson State generate 53 kills as a team.
Jackson State also received a strong contribution from Gianelle Asomani, who anchored the back row with a team-best 19 digs while adding three service aces and five assists. Sophia McKenzie recorded six kills, 14 digs and three aces, while Parker Featherstone contributed six kills, 14 digs and two aces.
The Tigers made their presence felt at the service line, finishing with ten aces, including three apiece from McKenzie and Asomani. Shelby Zanders added two aces, while Featherstone and several teammates helped keep pressure on the Austin Peay serve-receive throughout the night.
Jackson State opened the match with purpose, jumping out to an 11-4 advantage in the first set behind a dominant service run from Asomani. The Tigers continued to control the frame and eventually closed out the opener, 25-22.
After Austin Peay answered in the second set, Jackson State bounced back in the third. The Tigers built an 11-7 lead early and later stretched the advantage to 16-10. Austin Peay made a late push, but Jackson State maintained its composure and finished the set 25-22.
The fourth set proved to be another tightly contested battle. Jackson State erased an early deficit and pulled even at 5-5 before eventually fighting back from 11-16 to tie the set at 16-16. The Tigers continued to battle down the stretch, but Austin Peay narrowly forced a deciding fifth set with a 25-23 win.
With the match on the line, Jackson State responded emphatically.
Austin Peay grabbed an early 9-4 lead in the fifth set, but the Tigers refused to fold. Jackson State rallied behind a combination of timely kills, aggressive serving and defensive pressure. The Tigers cut the deficit to 8-9 before tying the set at 10-10. From there, Jackson State took control.
A kill by Katejion Robinson tied the set, followed by a kill from Briggs to put the Tigers ahead, 11-10. McKenzie then delivered a service ace, and an Austin Peay attack error pushed Jackson State's lead to 13-11. After another point, Jayla David finished the comeback with a kill, giving the Tigers a 15-11 fifth-set victory and the 3-2 match win.
The victory was a complete team effort, with Jackson State finishing with 53 kills, 10 service aces, eight total blocks and 67 digs. The Tigers saved their most efficient offensive performance for the deciding set, hitting .333 with nine kills and just one attack error.
Up Next
The Tigers will face UT Martin to close out the tournament Saturday morning. First serve is set for 10:30 a.m.
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