FLORENCE, Ala. | The Grambling State University volleyball team continued to flex its early season muscle on Friday afternoon during the opening day of the UNA Volleyball Classic at Flowers Hall. The Lady Tigers fell 3-1 to host North Alabama in the opening match, but bounced back with a thrilling 3-2 come-from-behind victory over New Orleans in the second match. 

Grambling State (2-3) began play in the UNA Volleyball Classic against North Alabama (3-0), dropping the first two sets, 25-20 and 25-10. However, the Lady Tigers claimed the third set, 25-21, before falling in the fourth set with a thrilling 27-25 loss, which gave the Lions the 3-1 win. 

Against New Orleans, Grambling State took the opening set, 25-20, but New Orleans (2-3) took the 2-1 advantage after winning sets 2 and 3, 25-23 and 25-22, respectively. However, the Lady Tigers continued to be resilient with a 25-19 fourth-set victory to force a fifth set. GSU won the match and earned the opening-day split with a 15-10 win. 

Match 1: North Alabama 3, Grambling State 1 

HOW IT HAPPENED 
First Set 

• With the score tied at 7, North Alabama seized ahead and used a 7-2 run, capped by an attacking error on Zyonn Smith 
• The Lady Tigers rallied, tying the set at 16 after a kill by Adaizah Millett 
• However, the Lions closed out the set, outscoring GSU, 9-4, to pick up the win

Second Set 

• North Alabama controlled the set from the start, jumping out to a 21-8 lead  
• Grambling State could not recover in a 25-10 loss 

Third Set 

• The Lions raced out to a 13-7 lead after an attacking error by Jayden James 
• However, Grambling State responded by using an 11-5 run, capped by Nyah Ellis, tying the set at 18 
• The Lady Tigers never looked back, claiming the set, 25-21 

Fourth Set 

• Grambling State took a 10-8 lead after a service ace by Ana Calderon 
• North Alabama tied the set at 16 after a kill by Maggie Sullivan 
• The Lions led by as many as three, 20-17 after an attacking error by Millett 
• Back came Grambling State, tying the set at 22 after a kill by James 
• The Lady Tigers were on the verge of forcing a fifth set, leading 24-23 after a James kill 
• However, the Lions got a kill by Sullivan, tying the set at 24 
• With the score tied at 25, North Alabama sealed the match with two straight points 
   

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Grambling State finished with 51 kills in 194 total attacks, with 31 errors 
• The Lady Tigers tallied 96 digs, 47 errors, seven service aces and 1.0 total team blocks 
• Jayden James registered a double-double with a team-high 15 kills and 19 digs 
• Ana Calderon added 25 assists and 12 digs 
• Hillary English dished out 17 assists and tallied 11 digs 
• Kai Williams also led the defense with 19 digs, while Nyah Ellis had 16 
• North Alabama finished with 52 kills in 173 total attacks, with just 12 errors 
• The Lions recorded 99 digs, 51 assists, 8.0 total team blocks and four service aces 
• Katy Floyd registered 14 kills, while Taylor Floyd added a double-double of 11 kills and 13 digs 
• Kennedey Johnson tallied a double-double of 44 assists and 17 digs 
• Ella Ratzloff led the way defensively with 30 digs 

Match 2: Grambling State 3, New Orleans 2 

HOW IT HAPPENED 
First Set 

• Grambling State raced out to a 14-7 lead after a kill by Destiny Thomas 
• New Orleans battled back, closing the gap to 19-15 after a kill by Kristi Gomez 
• The Lady Tigers put the set away after a kill by James, defeating UNO, 25-20 

Second Set 

• The Lady Tigers controlled the set early on, 16-11, after a James kill 
• However, New Orleans stormed back, using a 12-2 run, capped by a Sydney Gott kill, to grab a 23-18 lead 
• Grambling State rallied, tying the set at 23 after a Gomez kill, but the Privateers took the set, 25-23 after a kill by Chandler Lee and an attacking error by Williams 

Third Set 

• New Orleans jumped out to a 12-8 lead after a kill by Trinity Jackson 
• Grambling State answered by using a 10-3 run to give the Lady Tigers an 18-15 advantage after a James kill 
• Back came the Privateers with an 8-2 run to grab a 23-20 lead 
• Grambling State could not recover in a 25-22 loss 

Fourth Set 

• With the score tied at 14, the Lady Tigers used a 6-2 run to take a 20-16 advantage 
• New Orleans could not recover as a kill by Hillary English set the match into the fifth and final set, giving Grambling State a 25-19 win 

Fifth Set 

• Grambling State, which never trailed in the set, raced out to a 10-4 lead 
• New Orleans closed the gap to 12-9, but that was as close as the Privateers would get 
• The Lady Tigers closed out the match with kills by Thomas and Smith for the 15-10 victory 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Grambling State finished with 66 kills in 204 total attacks, with 34 errors 
• The Lady Tigers recorded 95 digs, 61 assists, nine service aces and eight total team blocks 
• James recorded her second double-double of the day, with 23 kills and 18 digs 
• Haley Gomez tallied 12 kills  
• Calderon also added a double-double of 36 assists and 10 digs 
• English came one dig shy of the double-double with 20 assists and nine digs 
• Defensively, Ellis paced the Lady Tigers with 29 digs and Williams added 12 
• New Orleans finished with 44 kills in 176 total attacks, with 23 errors 
• The Privateers registered 99 digs, 41 assists, 8.0 total team blocks and six service aces 
• Kristi Gomez led the way offensively with eight kills, along with 13 digs 
• Kamryn Scroggins added 32 assists and 17 digs 

UP NEXT 
Grambling State wraps up play at the UNA Volleyball Classic on Saturday against Lamar. First serve is set for 11 a.m. from Flowers Hall. 

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