Jackson State’s volleyball team opened its 2026 season with a split at the Tennessee Volleyball Classic, held at the Winfield Dunn Center in Clarksville, Tennessee. The Tigers lost their morning match to Kansas City in three sets but bounced back to defeat Austin Peay in five sets later that evening, according to team reports.
In the first match, Jackson State fell to Kansas City 3-0 (25-14, 25-23, 25-22). The Tigers showed determination despite the straight-set loss, trailing by double digits at times but fighting to stay competitive. They recorded 35 kills and 48 digs overall. Hope Briggs led the team with 12 kills and a .296 hitting percentage, while Sophia McKenzie added nine kills and 11 points.
The Tigers’ offense improved as the match progressed, with their best attacking percentage in the third set at .242. Giannelle Asomani contributed 18 digs, and Naija Gadis dished out 14 assists. Jackson State’s best stretch came in the third set, when they nearly completed a comeback after falling behind early. They scored six of nine points to cut Kansas City’s lead to 16-14 and later tied the set at 20-20 before falling short.
Later that night, Jackson State rallied from a two-set deficit to beat Austin Peay 3-2 (25-22, 19-25, 25-22, 23-25, 15-11). Hope Briggs led the Tigers with 16 kills and 16.5 points, hitting .333. Naija Gadis contributed 24 assists and 11 digs, helping Jackson State tally 53 kills for the match. Gianelle Asomani added 19 digs and three aces, while Sophia McKenzie and Parker Featherstone each had six kills and 14 digs.
The Tigers started strong, using a service run from Asomani to win the first set 25-22. They maintained control through the third before a tightly contested fourth set, which Austin Peay won 25-23. In the decisive fifth set, Jackson State overcame an early deficit, tying the score at 10-10 and then taking control with key kills from Briggs and McKenzie. Jayla David finished the match with a kill, sealing the victory for the Tigers.
Jackson State will face UT Martin on Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. to conclude the tournament, according to the team’s schedule.
