NATCHITOCHES, La. | Jackson State showed resilience Tuesday night at Prather Coliseum, extending the match with a dominant third-set performance before falling to Northwestern State, 3-1.
The Tigers dropped the opening two sets, 25-22 and 25-17, before responding with an impressive 25-19 victory in the third. Jackson State continued to battle deep into the fourth set, pulling within one point late before Northwestern State escaped with a 25-23 decision to close the match. The result moved Jackson State to 3-4 on the season.
Jackson State finished the night with 44 kills while hitting .207 as a team. The Tigers committed only 15 attacking errors across 140 attempts and produced nine total blocks, including 18 block assists. Defensively, JSU collected 63 digs.
Hope Briggs paced the Jackson State attack with 12 kills and added four block assists, finishing with a team-high 14 points. Sophia McKenzie followed with 11 kills, eight digs and two service aces, while Shelby Zanders contributed four kills, five block assists and an ace.
Giannelle Asomani anchored the Tigers defensively with a match-high 21 digs, while Kayla Troutman recorded 18 assists, nine digs and a service ace. Ryleigh Davis provided an all-around performance with five kills, 14 assists, six digs and five block assists.
After falling behind two sets to none, Jackson State delivered its strongest stretch of the night in the third. The Tigers raced out to a 10-2 advantage, fueled by a combination of Northwestern State errors and kills from Briggs, Zanders and Davis. JSU maintained control throughout the frame before McKenzie sealed the 25-19 set victory with a service ace.
The fourth set featured seven ties and four lead changes as Jackson State continued to push the Demons. After trailing 23-19, the Tigers mounted one final rally behind kills from McKenzie and Parker Featherstone and an Northwestern State attack error, trimming the deficit to 23-22. Briggs later delivered another kill to make it 24-23 before Northwestern State secured the final point.
Inside the Numbers
- Jackson State recorded 44 kills as a team for a .207 hitting percentage.
- Hope Briggs led the Tigers with 12 kills followed by Sophia McKenzie who finished with 11.
- JSU finished with 63 digs 21 of which came from Gianelle Asomani.
- Kayla Troutman registered 18 assists and Ryleigh Davis. had 14.
- Jackson State finished the match with four service aces.
Up Next
The Tigers will compete at the Southern Miss Invitational over the weekend. JSU will take on Houston Christian at 1 p.m. on Friday.
Follow Jackson State Athletics
For complete coverage of Jackson State athletics, follow the Tigers on social media at @GoJSUTigers (Instagram and X, formerly Twitter), Jackson State Tigers (Facebook), or visit the official home of Jackson State athletics at GoJSUTigers.com.
