Lake Charles, La. – Alcorn State volleyball continued play at the McNeese Cowgirl Invitational on Friday afternoon, dropping a hard-fought three-set decision to ULM (27-25, 25-20, 25-15) at the Legacy Center.
The Lady Braves (0-4) showed stretches of strong play throughout the match, particularly in the opening set. After trailing by as many as six points, Alcorn rallied behind solid defense and timely swings to push the Warhawks deep into extra points before falling 27-25. The competitiveness carried into the second frame, where the Lady Braves closed the gap late before ULM was able to secure the win.
Courtney Carter powered the offense with a team-high nine kills to go along with 11 assists and nine digs, flirting with a double-double. Tomoni Giddings turned in an efficient performance with six kills on a .222 hitting percentage and added four digs. Rylan Jones was steady at the net with four kills while also providing nine digs defensively. Freshman Jessika Martinez made her mark with four kills and three assists in limited action, while Juliana Henao anchored the back row with a team-best 19 digs.
In total, Alcorn collected 35 kills, 35 assists, 35 digs, and four team blocks on the night. The balanced effort showcased the team's growing depth, with several players contributing both offensively and defensively.
"We are continuing to gel at the right time," noted the staff after the match. "This tournament is giving us the chance to sharpen our execution and develop chemistry that will be critical heading into SWAC play."
The Lady Braves return to action Saturday, September 6, with a 10:30 a.m. matchup against UT Arlington to close out their weekend slate in Lake Charles.
FOLLOW THE BRAVES
For complete coverage of Alcorn State Athletics news, please follow the Braves on Twitter (@BravesSports), Instagram (@AlcornSports) and YouTube (Alcorn State Sports) or visit the official home of the Alcorn State Athletics at (alcornsports.com).
