MONTGOMERY, Ala. | The Grambling State University volleyball team dropped its Southwestern Athletic Conference opener on Friday night, falling in three sets to Alabama State, 3-0 (25-17, 25-14, 25-19), inside Lockhart Gymnasium.

The Lady Tigers (1-10 overall, 0-1 SWAC) were led by Kenya Lucas, who tallied 12 kills while hitting .333.

Ra'Niya Brown chipped in five kills and a block, while Rihianna Brown added three kills and two blocks.

Alayna Howard dished out 15 assists, and Leisey Keli'i collected a team-high eight digs.

Alabama State (2-11, 1-0 SWAC) was paced by Jyriah Morgan with 14 kills, while setter Kamrynn Clay recorded 35 assists. The Hornets hit .365 as a team to Grambling's .075.


HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1: Grambling opened with an early kill from Kenya Lucas, but Alabama State quickly strung together a 6-0 run behind strong serving from Brooke Adams to grab control. The Lady Tigers pulled within four late following kills from Ra'Niya Brown and Rihianna Brown, but the Hornets closed out the frame 25-17.

Set 2: The second set was dominated by Alabama State's offense, as Jyriah Morgan and Essence Jones powered the Hornets to a .556 hitting percentage. Lucas provided a spark for Grambling with timely kills, but ASU maintained momentum to take it 25-14.

Set 3: The Lady Tigers battled back and forth early, highlighted by an ace from Amaris Marks that gave GSU a 6-5 edge. Lucas and Ra'Niya Brown kept Grambling within striking distance midway through the set, but Alabama State responded with key kills down the stretch to close the match 25-19.




UP NEXT
Grambling State continues SWAC play on Sunday, Sept. 28, traveling to Huntsville, Ala., to face Alabama A&M.



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