Jackson State volleyball sweeps Mississippi Valley State in SWAC play
ITTA BENA, Miss. — Jackson State volleyball continued its strong start to Southwestern Athletic Conference play Wednesday night, sweeping Mississippi Valley State in three sets at the Harrison HPER Complex. The Tigers won 25-14, 25-17, 25-16, to improve to 7-9 overall and 3-0 in SWAC action. Mississippi Valley State fell to 1-11 overall and 0-3 in conference.
Jackson State controlled the match from the start, hitting .337 as a team with 39 kills, 12 service aces, and five blocks. The Tigers committed just 10 attack errors across the three sets. They opened the match with a 25-14 victory, building a 16-8 lead after a strong middle portion. Shelby Zanders contributed multiple kills, helping establish control for Jackson State.
The Tigers continued their momentum into the second set, jumping out to a 4-0 lead. Sophia McKenzie played a key role, recording a kill and two service aces during the run. Jackson State extended its lead to 19-11 and closed the set 25-17 to take a 2-0 match lead. The team hit .345 in the second set, with 13 kills and only three errors.
Jackson State maintained control in the third set, turning a 5-3 lead into an 11-5 advantage. Naija Gadis added a service ace, and Zanders contributed consecutive kills. Mississippi Valley State made a late push, trimming the deficit to 21-15, but Jackson State responded with four of the final five points. Ryleigh Davis delivered a service ace and Jada Constanza added a kill to secure the sweep with a 25-16 final. The Tigers posted their most efficient offensive set, hitting .481 with 14 kills and one error.
Kyra Dove led offensively with 10 kills on 13 attempts, hitting .692 with two blocks for 11 points. Shelby Zanders added eight kills, and Hope Briggs contributed seven. Sophia McKenzie posted four kills without an error and three aces. Davis and Gadis combined for 29 assists, with Davis adding three aces. Jackson State will host Bethune-Cookman on Friday at 6 p.m. at the AAC.
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