HUNTSVILLE, Ala. | The Grambling State University volleyball team dropped a pair of matches on Friday with a 3-1 loss to Jackson State and a 3-0 loss to Alabama State during the opening day of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Round-Up, hosted by Alabama A&M University.
 
Match 1 vs. Jackson State (3-1 loss)
Jackson State, which completed the season sweep over GSU, took the opening set, 25-12, but Grambling State (6-20 overall, 3-8 SWAC) battled back to tie the match at with a 25-18 second-set win. However, JSU won the match with victories in the third set (25-18) and fourth set (25-22).
 
Kevreion Ward led the GSU offense with 10 kills, on 22 total attacks and just three errors, for a .318 hitting percentage. L'Muriell Thrower and Sheila Borders dished out 15 and 13 assists, respectively. Erineka Mollere paced the defense with 15 digs.
 
Alexandra Burney, Madison Wolf and Camry Dabney each recorded 10 kills to lead Jackson State. Priscilla Sanchez handed out 21 assists, while Kinly Carter finished with 20. Defensively, Markayshia Masani registered a match-high 23 digs and Burney completed the double-double with 13 digs.
 
Match 2 vs. Alabama State (3-0 loss)
Alabama State, which saw its 43-match conference win streak halted by Grambling State earlier this season, won the match in set straights, 25-4, 25-12, 25-11.
 
Chasity Nicks paced the Lady Tigers offense with seven kills, while Thrower chipped in with nine assists. Ward finished with four digs to lead the defense.
 
Bayle' Bennett and Candace Martin finished with 12 and 11 kills, respectively to lead Alabama State (12-17, 9-2 SWAC). Kori Kutsch registered a match-high 38 assists, while Kayla Torres recorded 10 digs.
 
Inside the Numbers
> Against Jackson, Grambling State finished with a .111 hitting percentage (35 kills, 21 errors, 126 total attacks)
> Jackson State recorded a .306 hitting percentage (53 kills, 16 errors, 121 total attacks)
> Grambling State registered 43 digs, 33 assists, 8.0 total team blocks and seven service aces
> Jackson State tallied 59 digs, 49 assists, 8.0 total team blocks and six service aces
> Against Alabama State, Grambling State finished with 17 kills, 14 errors, 83 total attacks (.036 hitting percentage)
> Alabama State registered a .542 hitting percentage (44 kills, 5 errors, 72 total attacks)
> The Lady Tigers finished with 19 digs, 17 assists and two service aces
> The Lady Hornets tallied 43 digs, 41 assists and eight service aces.
 
Up Next
Grambling State returns to action with a pair of matches in Day 2 of the SWAC Round-Up. The Lady Tigers will meet host Alabama A&M at 10 a.m. and conclude the day with a 3 p.m. match against Alcorn State. GSU wraps up play at the SWAC Round-Up on Sunday, with a 3 p.m. match against Mississippi Valley State.
 
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