ITTA BENA, Miss. | Jackson State volleyball continued its strong start to Southwestern Athletic Conference play Wednesday night, sweeping Mississippi Valley State, 3-0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-16), at the Harrison HPER Complex.
The Tigers improved to 7-9 overall and 3-0 in SWAC play with the victory, while Mississippi Valley State fell to 1-11 overall and 0-3 in conference action.
Jackson State controlled the match from the opening set, hitting .337 as a team while recording 39 kills, 12 service aces and five total blocks. The Tigers also committed just 10 attack errors across the three-set sweep.
Jackson State opened the night with a 25-14 first-set victory. After MVSU briefly kept pace early, the Tigers created separation with a strong middle portion of the set, eventually building a 16-8 advantage. Jackson State closed the opening frame on a 25-14 margin, highlighted by a service ace from Naija Gadis and a kill from Parker Featherstone.
Shelby Zanders provided an offensive spark in the opening set, recording multiple kills as the Tigers established control. Jackson State finished the frame with 12 kills and hit .200.
The Tigers carried their momentum into the second set, jumping out to a 4-0 lead. Sophia McKenzie played a major role in the early run, recording a kill and a service ace before Jackson State continued to build its advantage.
MVSU trimmed the deficit to 9-8, but Jackson State answered with another decisive stretch. McKenzie delivered back-to-back service aces during a run that pushed the Tigers ahead 19-11. Jackson State eventually closed out the set, 25-17, to take a 2-0 match lead.
Jackson State hit .345 in the second set, finishing with 13 kills and only three attack errors.
Jackson State maintained control throughout the third set, turning a 5-3 lead into a 11-5 advantage before continuing to extend the margin. Gadis contributed a service ace during the early run, while Zanders added consecutive kills to keep the Tigers in command.
MVSU made a late push, cutting the deficit to 21-15, but Jackson State responded with four of the final five points. Ryleigh Davis delivered a service ace to make it 23-15, and Jada Constanza followed with a kill to put the Tigers at match point. Jackson State finished the sweep on a kill from Kyra Dove, 25-16.
The Tigers saved their most efficient offensive performance for the final set, hitting an impressive .481 with 14 kills and just one attack error.
Kyra Dove led the Tigers offensively with 10 kills on 13 attacks, committing just one error for a team-best .692 hitting percentage. She also contributed two total blocks for 11 points.
Shelby Zanders added eight kills without an attack error, hitting .615, while recording 8.5 points.
Hope Briggs contributed seven kills on 14 attacks while hitting .429, while Sophia McKenzie posted four kills without an error on six attacks (.667) and added three service aces.
Davis and Gadis helped direct the Jackson State offense, combining for 29 assists, while Davis also recorded three service aces.
Up Next
The Tigers will return home to the AAC to host Bethune-Cookman Friday evening. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
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