Jackson State rallies past Bethune-Cookman in five-set volleyball match

Jackson State rallied from a two-set deficit and saved match point to defeat Bethune-Cookman 3-2 in women’s volleyball Friday night at Richard V. Moore Gymnasium in Daytona Beach, Florida. The Tigers won by set scores of 20-25, 17-25, 25-22, 25-21 and 17-15.

The victory moved Jackson State to 14-14 overall and 10-5 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play. Hope Briggs led the Tigers with 16 kills and a .344 hitting percentage. Shelby Zanders had 13 kills while hitting .414, and Kyra Dove added 11 kills, a team-best .476 hitting percentage and six blocks.

Jackson State began its comeback in the third set, scoring seven straight points after falling behind 6-3 to take a 10-6 lead. Bethune-Cookman closed within 23-22, but a Briggs kill and a Wildcats attack error gave the Tigers the set. In the fourth, Jackson State trailed 18-15 before scoring eight consecutive points. Giannelle Asomani served for seven points in the run, and Sophia McKenzie contributed three kills. Zanders’ kill ended the set, forcing a decider.

The fifth set featured 11 ties and five lead changes. Bethune-Cookman reached match point at 15-14, but Dove’s kill tied the score. Dove and Ryleigh Davis then combined for a block, and Davis delivered the winning kill on an assist from Naija Gadis.

Jackson State totaled 63 kills, 60 assists, 68 digs, eight service aces and 10 blocks. Gadis led with 28 assists, followed by Kayla Troutman with 16 and Davis with 12. Asomani had a match-high 24 digs and two aces; Davis added eight kills and five blocks, while McKenzie recorded nine digs and a team-high three aces. In the fourth set, the Tigers hit .297 with 16 kills, their most efficient offensive set.

Jackson State was scheduled to close its regular season at Florida A&M on Sunday, with first serve set for 1 p.m. CT.

Source: Jackson State Athletics.