LORMAN, Miss. - The Alcorn State University volleyball program starts the week with a Tri-Match on Tuesday as the Lady Braves host Wiley College and William Carey at the E.E. Simmons Gymnasium. The team opens with a 2 p.m. game against the Lady Wildcats (7-7) and will square off with the Lady Crusaders (13-10) at 6 p.m. in the third game. Wiley and William Carey will play each other in the second match, scheduled for a 4 p.m. start.
"Tomorrow will be a great experience for the girls to play hard and with some heart," said head coach Chelsey Lucas. "Every step of the way is to get prepared for the upcoming SWAC Round Up this weekend."
Alcorn's offense is paced by junior Singryd Valadares' 173 kills, followed by freshmen Fiapaipai Iosia and Daharri Thompkins with 112 and 107 kills each. Freshman setter Jasmine Chambers owns 417 assists while Iosia and freshman Octavia Dixon have served 23 and 21 aces, respectively. Iosia also adds 381 digs and Valadares has made 32 blocks to lead the defensive effort.
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Wiley College | Oct. 17 | 2 p.m.
The Lady Wildcats fell in straight sets at Our Lady of the Lake on Friday and dropped a 3-1 decision at Huston-Tillotson on Saturday. Jayme Bazile leads the offense with 122 kills, followed by Tsvetelina Bozhanova with 103. Alexia Souza is the primary setter with 199 assists. Bozhanova, Kaylah Zepeda, and Souza have combined for 37 service aces. Miyah Keller owns 178 digs and Olena Fedorenko has 54 blocks to anchor the defense.
Tuesday marks the first meeting between the two programs.
William Carey | Oct. 17 | 6 p.m.
The Lady Crusaders are coming off a 3-1 win over Faulkner on Friday. William Carey is led offensively by Caroline Golden with 242 kills, followed closely by Chassidy Harris with 233. Gillian Tripp is the go-to setter with 515 assists and Golden has served 29 aces. Defensively, Emma Cotney leads the team with 274 digs and Harris adds 38 blocks.
This marks the second time the teams have met this season. The Lady Crusaders took a Sept. 26 match in Hattiesburg, Miss. in straight sets. Freshman Omone Davies scored a season-high six kills to lead the Lady Braves in the loss. Chambers reached double-digit assists with 14, Dixon recorded six digs, and Davies added a pair of blocks.
The Tri-Match on Tuesday marks Alcorn's Lacing Up 4 Pediatric Cancer Game. Fans are encouraged to wear yellow and the Lady Braves will be raising money for Go4theGoal, a nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives of children battling cancer.
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