GRAMBLING, La. | Grambling State battled hard but came up short in straight sets to Jackson State, 3–0, on Sunday afternoon inside the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.

The Lady Tigers fell by scores of 25–23, 25–19, and 26–24, moving to 3–15 overall and 2–6 in SWAC play.

Kenya Lucas led the offensive effort with 11 kills, while Ra'Niya Brown added five kills and four blocks.

Amaris Marks contributed across the board with four kills, nine digs, and two service aces.

Alayna Howard dished out 16 assists to pace the offense.

Leisey Keli'i anchored the defense with 11 digs, also adding two aces of her own.
 


HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1: Grambling came out swinging, trading points with Jackson State through a tightly contested opening frame. The Lady Tigers used early kills from Kenya Lucas and Ra'Niya Brown, along with a service ace by Leisey Keli'i, to stay level midway through the set. JSU pulled ahead briefly, but GSU fought back with a late 3–1 run featuring key plays from Marks and Howard before the Tigers edged out the frame, 25–23.

Set 2: The second set began with a strong start for GSU behind back-to-back kills from Lucas, but Jackson State capitalized on timely service aces and blocks to regain momentum. Despite defensive efforts from Marks and Keli'i, GSU struggled to find consistency in its attack, hitting -.094 as a team in the set, as JSU took it 25–19.

Set 3: The Lady Tigers showed fight once more in the third, taking an early lead after consecutive service aces by Howard and Keli'i. The frame saw several lead changes, with Marks and Lucas delivering clutch kills to keep Grambling within striking distance. However, Jackson State held on late, using a pair of key kills by Jayden James to close out the set 26–24and secure the sweep.
 




UP NEXT
Grambling State remains at home to host Mississippi Valley State University on Monday, Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. inside the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center as SWAC play continues.




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