PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – The Alcorn State University volleyball program saw its record book rewritten as junior Fiapaipai Iosia broke the career digs record as she upped her total to 1,065 digs over the weekend.
The Lady Braves (3-11, 1-4 SWAC) saw sophomore Sydney Joseph was the team's top attacker in the final three matches of the round-up at 37 kills, junior Jasmine Chambers averaged 9.2 assists per set and Iosia had 57 digs to pace the club (4.4 average).
Texas Southern | L, 1-3 (25-23, 18-25, 16-25, 23-25)
The first set was deadlocked through 22 points as the Tigers and Lady Braves both had 11. Alcorn was able to take the slimmest of leads when it went ahead 15-14 and then took control with a 9-4 barrage to give them set point. TSU made a valiant comeback, reeling off five straight points to close the gap at 24-23 but Alcorn benefitted from the subsequent Tigers service error to squeak out a 25-23 set victory (25-23).
The maroon and gray opened up the second set with back-to-back-to-back points before Alcorn responded with four straight of its own. Both sides continued to be evenly matched as the game was deadlocked at 10. Texas Southern then found its groove, posting six straight points and seven of the next eight to propel the Tigers to a set split through two (18-25).
TSU kept the ball rolling with a 5-2 opening mark in the third set. Things started to take a turn for the worst after the Lady Braves cut the deficit to 10-8 as Texas Southern opened up a 17-10 upper hand shortly thereafter and kept Alcorn at a distance to take a two to one set advantage (16-25).
Through the first 25 points, the purple and gold hung close to the Tigers as they continuously kept within two points up to that point (13-12). Alcorn would then rip off three in a row and nine of 14 to go ahead 21-18. However, the resilient girls from Houston dug in their heels and rallied to go 7-2 the rest of the way to hand Alcorn a 3-1 defeat (23-25).
Both Sydney Joseph (13) and senior Singryd Valadares (11) went off for double-digit kills (Valadares' was a season-best) and Jasmine Chambers averaged an even eight assists per set. The duo of Fiapaipai Iosia (15) and senior Melinda Perrilloux (13) combined for 28 digs with Perrilloux tying her career-high.
Grambling State | L, 2-3 (18-25, 25-21, 21-25, 27-25, 14-16)
Grambling came out in the first set on a 13-8 run. The black and gold kept the lead for the rest of the frame, outscoring the Lady Braves 12-10 over the remaining 22 points to take a one set lead (18-25).
After both sides scored four each in the first eight points, Alcorn rallied for a 6-2 run to go ahead 10-6. The purple and gold were able to open up a seven-point cushion at 16-9. GSU crawled back to within four at 16-12 but a 6-1 outburst for the Lady Braves made it 22-13. Six straight Tiger points made the Lady Braves sweat when it closed the gap to 22-19 but Alcorn sealed the set and evened the match (25-21).
Alcorn kept the ball rolling with three unanswered points to open the third set. The Tigers and Lady Braves swapped leads over the next 20 points as Alcorn retained a 13-10 advantage. Grambling proceeded to retake the upper hand with four consecutive to make it 14-13. After the match became tied at 16, GSU put the nail in the coffin, putting together an 8-1 barrage to win the third set (21-25).
After Grambling took a 10-8 advantage, Alcorn exploded for a 7-1 run to go up 15-11. GSU came roaring back with a 6-1 rally of its own to reclaim the lead at 17-16. The tale of two runs continued as a 5-0 Lady Braves run was countered by a 4-0 Tigers run to knot the proceedings at 21. Grambling would then be on the verge of match point at 24-22 but the purple and gold would score five of the final six points to take the match to its deciding fifth set (27-25).
Grambling State led the fifth set 8-6 as the sides flipped at the halfway point. After the Tigers opened it up to three points at 12-9, a 4-0 rally by Coach Robinson's bunch gave Alcorn all the momentum and a 13-12 edge. The black and gold got the last laugh however, ending the match with a 4-1 run and a heart stopping five-set winner (14-16).
The duo of Joseph (15) and sophomore Simone Barren (12) each notched double-digit kill performances. Chambers continued to be a consistent setter at 8.4 assists per set while three separate Lady Braves put together double-digit digs in Iosia (29), Joseph (15) and Chambers (13).
Joseph's double-double with 15 kills (season-high) and 15 digs (career-high) was the first by the Lady Braves this season. Junior Daharri Thompkins had her best game blocking of 2019 as she had three block solos and two block assists for five total while also knocking down six kills.
Chambers also put together a career-high performance with her 42 assists while setting a new season-high in digs at 13.
Iosia broke the record with her 10th dig of the match in the second set and proceeded to raise the bar with a season-best 29 digs on the afternoon.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff | W, 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 27-25, 25-17)
The first set saw the Golden Lions hold a slight edge early at 7-5. Alcorn looked to take complete control of the contest with an outstanding nine unanswered points to go up 14-7. The Golden Lions got to within one after a 10-4 run (18-17). The two teams would trade blows of 5-0 and 4-0 to even everything at 22. UAPB would complete the comeback on the back of a 3-1 closeout and win the set (23-25).
23 points into the second set, UAPB was sitting on-top 12-11. The Lady Braves reeled off a 5-0 rally to go ahead 16-11. Six straight points by Arkansas-Pine Bluff swung the lead back to the black and gold, 17-16. Yet another Alcorn 5-0 run propelled the purple and gold to a second set win (25-22).
Pine Bluff started hot once again in the third set with a 7-3 opening ten points. Alcorn took back the advantage at 11-10. The Golden Lions were stalemated at 21 and again at 24 but the Lady Braves took a two-to-one set lead with a 3-1 finish (27-25).
Coach Robinson's squad was determined to make a statement in the fourth set, soaring to a five-point upper hand at 12-7. UAPB got to within two at 18-16 but that was as close as the Golden Lions would get as Alcorn scraped out its first SWAC victory (25-17).
Valadares led the attack for the Lady Braves with a season-best 17 kills while Barren contributed ten as well. Jasmine Chambers averaged 11.3 assists per set (45 total) while Alcorn had three players log ten or more digs for the second straight match (Chambers – 18, Perrilloux – 16, Iosia – 13). Perrilloux's 16 digs are a career-best.
Chambers posted her first double-double of the year with 45 assists and a career-high 18 digs to lead the team in both areas.
Alcorn as a team doubled its previous season-high with 14 blocks on the day as Simone Barren (9) and Sydney Joseph (6) posted career-bests.
The purple and gold hosts Wiley College on Tuesday, October 1 for its home opener after 14 straight games away from The Reservation. First serve will be at 6 p.m. inside the Davey Whitney Complex.
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