PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas | The Grambling State University volleyball team fell to Alabama State and Jackson State in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Round-Up on Sunday evening on the campus of Prairie View A&M.

The Lady Tigers (12-10 overall, 9-3 SWAC) battled ASU in a five-set thinners, suffering a 3-2 defeat, before losing to JSU in straight sets in the nightcap. 

Against Alabama State (14-13, 11-1), Grambling State took two of the first three sets, but couldn't fend off the surging Lady Hornets. In the match versus Jackson State (12-10, 9-3), GSU simply couldn't find its rhythm. 

Match 1: Alabama State 3, Grambling State 2 [25-23, 23-25, 29-27, 16-25, 14-16]

HOW IT HAPPENED 

First Set

• The first set was a back and forth affair as neither team could build a lead larger the three.
• Haley Gamez opened the match with a kill, giving GSU the quick 1-0 lead.
• The powerful Jayden James put the Lady Tigers on top 5-3, however, Alabama State had an answer for every GSU point. 
• GSU crafted its biggest lead of the opening set when it pushed ahead 19-16 on another kill by James.
• ASU tied the set at 22 off of a point by Jada Rhodes.
• With the set tied at 23, Grambling State scored two points in row off of kills by Zyonn Smith and James to win 25-23

Second Set

• After GSU opened with a point, ASU rallied to build a 6-2 advantage.
• The Lady Hornets led by as many as eight points, 20-12, and looked to cruise to an easy victory in the second frame.
• Maggie Plush sparked a rally for the Lady Tigers with a kill, to make it 20-13. GSU would eventually tie the set at 23, before surrendering the final two points to Alabama State.

Third Set

• Grambling State opened the third frame with a 3-0 run, thanks to kills from Zyonn Smith and Destiny Jones, and an attacking error by the Lady Hornets
• Much like the previous two sets, both teams traded punches over the course of the game.
• With the scored knotted at 13, ASU reeled off six straight points, crafting a commanding 19-13 lead. The Lady Hornets had set point, up 24-19, but that's where the Lady Tigers found a late boost.
• Kai Williams begin a 5-0 run for GSU with a timely kill. Ana Calderon tied the game at 24 with a service ace. Both teams exchanged barbs, but back-to-back kills by James gave GSU the 29-27 set victory

Fourth Set

• Alabama State dominated the fourth stanza, winning 25-16.
• GSU trailed by one point, 4-3, early in the frame, but an 11-2 run by ASU swung all the momentum the Lady Hornets' way. 
• Grambling State was never able to get on track, as Alabama State forced a match-deciding fifth set.

Fifth Set

• ASU began on a 5-0 run.
• Trailing 7-3, Grambling State scored five of the next six points, tying the set at 8.
• GSU push ahead 12-10 following a kill by Haley Gomez and a bad set by ASU's Kalysia Bates
• With both teams tied at 14, ASU claimed the match victory, scoring the final two points

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Grambling State finished with 72 kills in 209 total attacks, with 37 errors
• The Lady Tigers registered 85 digs, 71 assists, 7.0 total team blocks and five service aces
• Jayden James paced the offense with 24 kills
• Ana Calderon dished out 34 assists
• Nyah Ellis led the defense with 21 digs
• Alabama State finished with 60 kills in 178 total attacks, with 21 errors (hitting .219)
• The Lady Hornets recorded 58 assists, 82 digs, four service aces and 17 total team blocks
• Jada Rhodes tallied 20 kills
• Madison Beasley registered 30 assists
• Temperance Chatman posted 21 digs

Match 2: Jackson State 3, Grambling State 0 [20-25, 17-25, 18-25]

HOW IT HAPPENED 

First Set

• In the opening set, Jackson State built a quick 11-5 lead.
• Grambling State responded by scoring the next five points, pulling within one
• GSU tied the game at 13, but that was as close as the Lady Tigers could get to JSU, dropping the first frame 25-20

Second Set

• Grambling State held a 7-6 lead early in the set, but Jackson State embarked on a 7-0 run to open up a 14-7 advantage. 
• GSU did close the gap to two, 18-16, but JSU scored seven of the next eight points to earn a 25-17 set win.

Third Set

• GSU sprinted to a quick 3-0 lead, thanks a JSU attacking error and back-to-back service aces from Ana Calderon.
• Both teams battled back-and forth with GSU trailing 15-14. That's when Jackson State seized momentum and began a 5-0 run to go up 20-14. 
• JSU secured the match with a 25-18 victory in the final set. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Grambling State finished with 30 kills in 119 total attacks, with 20 errors
• The Lady Tigers recorded 49 digs, 28 assists, two service aces and six blocks
• Jayden James led with nine kills and 16 digs 
• Ana Calderon recorded 14 assists,
• Jackson State finished with 44 kills in 120 total attacks, with 18 errors
• JSU registered 67 digs, 44 assists, three blocks and four service aces

UP NEXT
Grambling State finishes the SWAC Round-Up versus Bethune-Cookman at 9 a.m. Monday morning.