GRAMBLING, La. | The Grambling State volleyball team delivered a hard-fought performance Sunday afternoon, rallying from a one-set deficit to defeat Southern 3-2 at the Men's Memorial Gymniasium.
The Lady Tigers (13-13 overall, 9-5 SWAC) secured the rivalry victory by set scores of 24-26, 25-23, 21-25, 25-16 and 15-13.
Kenya Lucas powered the GSU offense with a match-high 23 kills, finishing with a .308 hitting percentage. Lyric Jordan added 13 kills, while Rihianna Brown contributed 11 kills. Jazmine Binion chipped in nine kills, and Angelique Pena finished with eight kills while hitting an impressive .462.
Brown and Alayna Howard each recorded three service aces. Howard also orchestrated the offense with 55 assists and added 16 digs. Asialin Powell anchored the defensive effort with a team-high 30 digs, while Piper Nelson contributed 13 digs.
Southern (9-18, 5-9 SWAC) opened the match by taking a narrow 26-24 victory in the first set. Grambling State answered in the second, edging the Jaguars 25-23 to even the match at one set apiece.
The Jaguars regained the advantage with a 25-21 win in the third set, putting the Lady Tigers in a position to respond.
GSU answered emphatically in the fourth set, taking control with a 25-16 victory to force a decisive fifth set. The Lady Tigers carried that momentum into the final frame, where they held off Southern 15-13 to secure the 3-2 victory.
Grambling State finished with 68 kills, 62 assists and 86 digs. The Lady Tigers also recorded 10 service aces and 18 total blocks. Southern totaled 59 kills, 55 assists and 77 digs.
UP NEXT
GSU heads to the Lone Star State for a match-up versus Prairie View A&M on Friday, Nov. 13 at the William J. Nicks Building. The contest is set for a 6 p.m. start.
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