PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas | It wasn't easy, but the Grambling State University volleyball team got back into the win column on Monday morning with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Bethune-Cookman to conclude play during the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Round-up at the William J. Nicks Baby Dome.

Grambling State, which is now 4-1 in five set matches (3-1 in SWAC) this season, started slow but rallied quickly to grab the first set, 25-17, but could not overcome the Wildcats in the second set, 25-22. The Lady Tigers responded in the third set with a 25-12 victory, but Bethune-Cookman pulled away to win the fourth set, 25-16, to force a final set. Grambling State wrapped up the victory by claiming the final set, 15-13.

HOW IT HAPPENED 
First Set 

• Bethune-Cookman opened the match with five straight points to grab a 5-0 lead
• Grambling State (13-10 overall, 10-3 SWAC) battled back, with eight straight points, as the Lady Tigers took an 8-5 advantage
• During GSU's run, the Lady Tigers got service aces by Ana Calderon and blocks by Haley Gomez and Destiny Thomas
• Grambling State stretched the margin to 16-11 after a service ace by Nyah Ellis
• The Wildcats used a 4-1 run to cut the deficit to 17-15 after the block assist by Allah Dallas and Malina Spencer
• A kill by Jayden James gave GSU a 19-15 lead, forcing BCU to call a timeout
• Bethune-Cookman could not recover as Grambling State scored six out of the next eight points to take the set, 25-17

Second Set 

• The Wildcats (4-19, 4-7) opened with two straight points, but Grambling State answered and took a 4-3 advantage
• With BCU leading 7-6, the Wildcats used a 7-3 run, capped by a kill by Spencer to take a 14-9 lead
• That as enough of a distance the Wildcats would need
• Grambling State closed the gap to 19-17 after a kill by Zyonn Smith
• However, Bethune-Cookman scored the next three points to extend the advantage to 22-17
• The Wildcats closed out the set, winning, 25-22

Third Set 

• With the score tied at 8, Grambling State used a 7-0 run, capped by a block solo by Gomez as GSU led 15-9
• The Lady Tigers couldn't to push the lead with three straight kills by James, pushing the lead to 21-11
• The Wildcats failed to rally as the Lady Tigers rolled to a 25-12 victory

Fourth Set 

• Bethune-Cookman took an 11-8 lead after a block assist by Spencer and Alleah Dallas
• The Wildcats remained ahead and extended the margin to 18-14 after a service ace by Jaedyn Newman
• Grambling State could not recover in falling, 25-16

Fifth Set 

• It was a back-and-forth affair in the final set with neither team grabbing control
• Bethune-Cookman got a kill by Dallas and a service ace to grab a 9-7 advantage
• Back came Grambling State, on the heels of a 6-1 run, capped by an attacking error as the Lady Tigers led 13-10
• The Wildcats closed the gap to 13-12 and 14-13, before a kill by Destiny Thomas sealed the victory

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Grambling State finished with 63 kills in 181 total attacks, with 23 errors (hitting .221)
• The Lady Tigers recorded 75 digs, 59 assists, 12 block assists, seven service errors and three block solos
• Jayden James posted a double-double of 19 kills and 16 digs
• Haley Gomez tallied 10 kills, six digs, five block assists, three block solos and two service aces
• Destiny Thomas registered nine kills, four digs and four block assists
• Zyonn Smith and Adaizah Millett each recorded eight kills
• Smith recorded 11 digs, while Millett had two block assists
• Ana Calderon also posted a double-double of 32 assists and 11 digs, along with three service aces
• Hillary English added 14 assists and five digs
• Defensively, Nyah Ellis registered a team-high 21 digs
• Bethune-Cookman finished with 53 kills in 164 total attacks, with 29 errors
• The Wildcats recorded 84 digs, 50 assists 14 block assists, six service aces and three block solos
• Jasmine Moore led the offense with 15 kills
• Jaedyn Newman added 13 kills and 13 digs
• Alisha Callender registered 40 assists and a team-high 23 digs

UP NEXT 
Grambling State returns to action on Sunday at Prairie View A&M. First serve against the Panthers is set for 2 p.m. from the William J. Nicks Baby Dome.

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