Volleyball Topped at Home by Grambling State, 3-0

LORMAN, Miss. – Faith Archibong registered six kills on Sunday afternoon, as Alcorn fell to Grambling State, 3-0 in volleyball action inside the Davey L. Whitney Complex, in what was the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) opener for both teams. Grambling collected the match win on scores of 25-14, 25-19, 25-16.
 
With the score sitting at 4-3 in favor of Grambling (4-7, 1-0 SWAC) in the opening set, the Tigers used the serve of Ana Calderon in order to roll off nine consecutive points and take a sizeable 12-3 lead. Outside hitter Jayden James collected seven kills in the opening set, while Alcorn hit just .156 as a unit.
 
The Tigers were provided four kills from Hillary English down the stretch, allowing the visitors the 25-14 opening set win.
 
In the second set, Alcorn (1-13, 0-1 SWAC) took an early 6-4 lead with kills from freshman middle blocker Demya Tate and junior outside hitter Makayla Wardlaw, as well as blocks from Faith Archibong and Jodorrian Taylor. Grambling would later embark upon a 5-0 run off the serve of James, using blocks from Adaizah Millett and Maggie Plush along the way in order to take an 11-7 lead.
 
After back-to-back attack errors by the Tigers, the Braves later tied the set at 12-all.
 
However, Haley Gomez and Destiny Thomas combined for a block, while teammate James laid down a kill that allowed the Tigers to take a 20-14 edge late-on.
 
Maggie Plush's kill over the top of the Alcorn block would finish off the set, allowing Grambling the 2-0 lead in the match courtesy a second set score of 25-19.
 
With the Braves on top 6-3 in the third set following kills from Tate and Archibong, Grambling used a 10-2 run behind the efforts of Gomez and Kai Williams in the blocks department. Following a Nyah Ellis service ace, the Tigers led 15-9, thus forcing an Alcorn timeout.
 
Entering the match for the first time late in the third set, BeNaye Kyle recorded a kill, while Bruna Torres did the same off the bench for the Tigers, allowing the visitors the 25-16 set and match victory.
 
Grambling hit .333 as a squad in the final set, while the Braves were limited to just (-.040) in the frame.
 
Alcorn was led by Archibong's six-kill performance on the afternoon, while a trio of players followed her with five kills apiece for the Purple and Gold. Tate had five kills with four digs and a block (assisted), while Wardlaw provided five kills and three digs. Alaina Armstrong added five kills, three service aces and six digs for the Braves.
 
Grambling was led by James' 13 kills, seven digs, six service aces and two blocks (assisted). Calderon provided a match-high 20 assists and five digs, while Ellis led the defensive exploits of the Tigers with a match-high 11 digs in the contest.
 
Alcorn returns home Monday, Sept. 26, as the Braves host Arkansas-Pine Bluff to the Davey L. Whitney Complex for a SWAC meeting taking place at 6:30 p.m.
 
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