The Alabama State women’s volleyball team tightened their grip as the SWAC East Division’s top team by picking up another conference victory sweeping Alcorn State 3-0 (25-11, 25-16, 25-16) at Lockhart Gymnasium on Friday night.
The Lady Hornets upped their overall record to 13-17, but most importantly stay undefeated with a 7-0 record in the SWAC. ASU has now won 15 consecutive regular season conference games and hasn’t lost one since Nov. 10, 2012.
Alabama State put forth its most complete win of the season in terms of a team hitting percentage. The Lady Hornets swung for a season-high .434, notched eight aces and enjoyed a plus 24 assist differential.
Junior Tiara Kelley led the team with 10 kills on a season-best .625 hitting percentage to go with two blocks. Amber Bennett was on point as well, hitting eight kills on a .667 for her second-most efficient percentage of the season. Bennett’s season high came on Sept. 9 against Troy when she tallied seven kills on a .875.
Entering the match, Chelsey Scott needed six kills to reach the 600-kill plateau. The junior outside hitter picked up nine in the match to give her 603 kills in her career. Scott now has at least nine kills in five of the previous six games.
And, the 6-2 formation was in full force as the setting duties were nearly split evenly once again as Brooke Beasley led with 17 assists and Ellyn Jones added 15 assists.
Lurlethia Jones had five kills and Heather Jackson added four kills to lead the Lady Braves (8-18 overall, 2-6 SWAC).
The game was never in doubt for ASU.
After being tied at three in the first set, ASU was able to open a comfortable lead by taking 12 of the next 13 points highlighted by a Myla Marshall kill and ace, three kills by Bennett and a pair of aces by Beasley. Two additional kills late in the set by Marshall and another by Bennett closed out the set.
In the second set, the Lady Braves took an early 9-5 lead sparked by Jones and Jackson. ASU regrouped with kills by Scott and Kelley and eventually took a 10-9 lead on another Kelley throw down.
Jones set up Briana Dorsey and Rachel Smith for back-to-back points. Two more kills apiece by Scott and Smith pushed the Lady Hornets down the stretch to close out the set 25-16.
In the third set, ASU took a 16-9 lead on a beautiful spike by Marshall who rose up for a quick point off a feed from Beasley.
Alcorn got within 20-16, but the Lady Hornets took the last five points on a Lady Braves service error, a Scott kill, two kills by Kelley and an ace from Beasley.
Alabama State will host its final home game of the season Saturday at 1 p.m. against Mississippi Valley State for Senior Day from Lockhart Gym in a SWAC contest.
Seniors Beasley, Jones, Erika Thompson, Gaga Cvoric and Shan Jones will be honored in a special pre-game tribute.
