Jackson State Falls to Bethune-Cookman in Four Sets
Jackson State put together a strong third-set response and had multiple players deliver productive performances Friday night, but the Tigers ultimately fell to Bethune-Cookman in four sets inside the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center.
The loss dropped Jackson State to 7-10 overall and 3-1 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play. The Tigers finished with 47 kills, 46 assists, nine service aces, 62 digs and seven blocks.
Jackson State challenged throughout the match, pushing Bethune-Cookman early. The Tigers narrowly lost the first set 26-24 and fell in the second 25-19, trailing two sets to none at the break. Facing a must-win situation in the third, the Tigers responded with their best offensive effort of the night, hitting .345 with 14 kills on just four errors in 29 attempts. Jackson State won the third set 25-21 to extend the match.
In the final set, Bethune-Cookman edged the Tigers 25-22 to close out the match. Jackson State’s scoring totals were 24, 19, 25 and 22 points across the four sets.
Hope Briggs led the Tigers with 12 kills on a .308 hitting percentage. Kyra Dove added 10 kills on 18 swings for a .333 percentage and contributed defensively with two solo blocks and three block assists for 13.5 points. Shelby Zanders also impressed with seven kills on 11 attempts for a .455 percentage, along with a service ace and a solo block, totaling nine points.
Jackson State generated pressure from the service line, led by Parker Featherstone, who recorded four aces without an error and added 10 digs. Sophia McKenzie contributed three aces, and the team totaled nine aces overall. Defensively, Giannelle Asomani led with 15 digs, while Featherstone posted 10 and Naija Gadis added eight digs and 16 assists.
The match featured a back-and-forth battle, with 48 ties and 18 lead changes. The first set alone had 13 ties, the second 14, and the fourth 12.
The Tigers will host Florida A&M on Sunday at the Lee E. Williams Center, with first serve scheduled for noon. Jackson State Athletics can be followed on social media at @GoJSUTigers on X and Instagram, Jackson State Tigers on Facebook, or at GoJSUTigers.com.
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