Lorman, Miss. — The Alcorn State volleyball team ended a 13-match losing streak Sunday afternoon by defeating Arkansas-Pine Bluff in three sets at the Davey L. Whitney Complex. The Lady Braves won with scores of 25-19, 25-13, 25-13.
Courtney Carter and Jaylynn McNeill led the team offensively with nine kills each, according to school officials.
Alcorn State rallied in the first set after falling behind early. The Lady Braves trailed 11-7 but cut the deficit to 12-11. They then took control with a run that put them ahead 15-13, fueled by kills from Carter and McNeill. The team extended its lead to 21-17 before closing out the set, 25-19.
The Lady Braves carried momentum into the second set, jumping out to a 2-0 lead with service aces from Saiki. Arkansas-Pine Bluff responded to tie the score, but Alcorn regained control with kills from McNeill and Rylan Jones. The team extended its lead to 15-10 and continued to dominate, closing the set at 25-13 with a service ace from Juliana Henao.
In the third set, Alcorn opened with a 3-2 lead but UAPB tied the score at 4-4. The Lady Braves pulled ahead behind a service ace from Carter and kills from Alix Burton and McNeill. They built an 8-7 advantage and then extended it to 13-8. Despite a comeback attempt from UAPB that brought the score to 13-11, Alcorn responded with a five-point run to go ahead 18-11. The team finished strong, closing the set 25-13 and completing the sweep. The victory marked the team’s season high with a .395 hitting percentage.
Alcorn State will play its next Southwestern Athletic Conference match Friday against Texas Southern in Houston. The match is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. CT.
