GRAMBLING, La. | Grambling State volleyball earned a four-set victory over Alabama State on Sunday afternoon, winning 25-17, 24-26, 25-15, 25-22 at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.
The Tigers improved to 9-12 overall and 5-4 in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play with the victory, while Alabama State fell to 6-17 overall and 4-6 in conference action. The win marked GSU's first win over ASU since Sept. 21, 2018.
Grambling State opened the match with a strong performance in the first set, taking a 25-17 decision behind an efficient offensive attack. The Tigers recorded 13 kills on 29 attempts with just one error, hitting .414 to establish early momentum.
Alabama State responded in the second set, edging the Tigers 26-24 to even the match at one set apiece. The Hornets capitalized on the opportunity to level the contest before Grambling State regained control in the third set.
The Tigers delivered another strong offensive performance in the third, recording 14 kills and hitting .286 to secure a 25-15 win and take a 2-1 lead.
Grambling State closed out the match in the fourth set, overcoming Alabama State's challenge to earn a 25-22 victory and secure the conference win.
Lyric Jordan led the Tigers offensively with 13 kills on 25 attempts, committing just one error to finish with a .480 hitting percentage. Jordan also contributed three digs, one solo block and two block assists for 15 points.
Lainy Evans added 12 kills and 14 points, while
Kenya Lucas recorded 10 kills.
Angelique Pena contributed eight kills and a team-high six block assists, finishing with 12 points.
Rihianna Brown added seven kills and three service aces, while
Amaris Marks finished with five kills, two service aces and eight digs.
Grambling State's defensive effort proved important in securing the victory. The Tigers recorded 64 digs, led by
Asialin Powell's 15.
Reece Cook added 14 digs and contributed 17 assists, while
Alayna Howard dished out a team-high 21 assists and recorded 12 digs. Powell also recorded 10 assists and three service aces.
The Tigers finished the match with 55 kills, a .245 hitting percentage, 11 service aces and 18 total blocks. Grambling State limited Alabama State to a .136 hitting percentage and held the Hornets to 49 kills.
Alabama State was led by Kaylen Hines, who recorded a match-high 20 kills. Alexis Williams added 11 kills, while setter Kamrynn Clay finished with 41 assists.
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