Lake Charles, La. – Alcorn State volleyball closed out play at the McNeese Cowgirl Classic on Saturday afternoon, falling in straight sets to UT Arlington (25-16, 25-20, 25-13). The Lady Braves continued to show fight throughout the match, highlighted by stretches of strong defense and balanced offensive contributions.
Rylan Jones paced the Alcorn attack with 11 total attempts and four kills, while Michaela Branner added four kills of her own and registered a solid .125 hitting percentage. Jessika Martinez chipped in with three kills and seven assists, while also holding down the back row with steady passing. Courtney Carter contributed two kills and eight digs, while libero Tomoni Giddings collected a team-high 12 digs to keep the ball alive against the Mavericks' pressure.
Junior setter Juliana Henao helped spark the offense, tallying 14 assists and seven digs, while Bailey Upshaw provided energy at the net with a pair of kills and two block assists. The Lady Braves totaled 25 kills and 34 digs on the afternoon, while holding UTA to sideout battles across the first two sets.
UT Arlington (6-0) was led by Jalie Tritt's 13 kills and Camryn McMinn's eight kills, as the Mavericks' offense hit .227 for the match.
Alcorn (0-5) will now turn its attention to the University of Louisiana on Thursday, September 11, with first serve set for 6 p.m. inside the Davey L. Whitney Complex.
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