HATTIESBURG, Miss. | Jackson State volleyball showed its resilience Friday afternoon, battling through five sets to defeat Houston Christian, 3-2, inside the Southern Miss Wellness Center.
The Tigers improved to 4-4 on the season with the victory, taking the match by set scores of 25-19, 21-25, 25-10, 24-26 and 15-13.
Jackson State finished the afternoon with 58 kills on a .199 hitting percentage, while holding Houston Christian to 48 kills and an .089 attack percentage. JSU also recorded six service aces, 66 digs and seven total blocks in the five-set battle.
JSU set the tone early, using an efficient opening frame to claim a 25-19 victory. Jackson State totaled 13 kills while hitting .270 in the first set and closed the frame by scoring three of the final four points.
After Houston Christian evened the match with a 25-21 win in the second, Jackson State responded emphatically.
The Tigers dominated the third set, 25-10, hitting an impressive .400 with 15 kills and only three attack errors. JSU broke the frame open with an extended run that turned a 7-5 advantage into a commanding 13-5 lead. Shelby Zanders was instrumental during the stretch, contributing multiple kills as Jackson State seized control.
Houston Christian forced a deciding fifth set after edging Jackson State 26-24 in the fourth, despite the Lady Tigers reaching match point at 24-21.
Jackson State refused to let the opportunity slip away.
With the fifth set tied at 10, the Lady Tigers won three of the next four points to move ahead 13-11. Houston Christian pulled within one twice, but Hope Briggs delivered a crucial kill to give JSU match point at 14-12. After HCU answered, a service error sealed the 15-13 victory and the match for Jackson State.
Briggs powered the Jackson State attack with a team-high 15 kills, hitting .333 while adding four total blocks and 17.5 points. Zanders delivered one of the most efficient performances of the match, finishing with 11 kills on 19 attempts with just one error for a .526 hitting percentage. She also contributed five block assists.
Ryleigh Davis added eight kills, while Sophia McKenzie finished with nine kills and 11 digs. Parker Featherstone contributed five kills, three service aces and 11 digs.
Jackson State's setters helped keep the offense balanced throughout the afternoon. Kayla Troutman handed out a team-best 30 assists, while Naija Gadis added 16. Defensively, Giannelle Asomani led the Lady Tigers with 17 digs.
Up Next
The Tigers will take on Lamar and Southern Miss to close out the weekend. First serve is set for 2:30 pm.
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