Courtesy of GSU Athletic Communications 

The Grambling State University volleyball team returned to the court on Wednesday afternoon and got back into the win column with a 3-0 victory over Central Baptist at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.

Grambling State (3-7) controlled the first set, 25-8 and took a two-set lead with a 25-14 win. The Mustangs (2-8) led early in the third set, but Grambling State closed out the match with a 25-17 victory. The Lady Tigers were scheduled to play Tougaloo College in the second match of the Exit 81 Classic, but that match was canceled.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Set

• Grambling State opened the match on a 10-5 run
• A kill by Jayden James extended GSU’s lead to 14-6, forcing Central Baptist to call a timeout
• The Mustangs were forced to call their second timeout as Grambling State pushed the lead to 19-7
• The Lady Tigers controlled the set, scoring six out of the next seven points to pick up the 25-8 win

Second Set

• Grambling State led 3-2 after as Central Baptist picked up a point off a service error
• The Lady Tigers scored the next eight points to grab an 11-2 advantage after a kill by Destiny Thomas, forcing CBC to call a timeout
• GSU continued to extend the margin, pushing the lead to 14-2 after a hitting error by Haley Gomez
• The Mustangs tried to climb back into the set, closing the gap to 19-9
• Grambling State closed out the set, winning 25-14

Third Set

• The Mustangs raced out to a 4-1 advantage and extended the lead to 6-2
• Grambling State rallied and tied the set at 11 after a kill by Adaizah Millett
• The Lady Tigers continued to stretch the lead to 15-11 after a block by Maggie Plush
• GSU extended the margin to 19-12
• Central Baptist could not recover as Grambling State took the set and won the match, 25-17

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Grambling State finished with 35 kills in 90 total attacks, with 14 errors (hitting .233)
• The Lady Tigers registered 36 digs, 34 assists, 9.0 total team blocks and five service aces
• Jayden James led the offense with seven kills and hit .235 in two sets
• Hillary English tallied 11 assists and six digs
• Defensively, Nyah Ellis recorded nine digs
• Central Baptist finished with 14 kills in 97 total attacks, with 25 errors
• The Mustangs recorded 37 digs, 13 assists, one service ace and 1.0 total team blocks
• Madeline Freeman and Kenzie Hanks each recorded five kills
• Mikayla Lawrence and Mallory Gossett registered 10 digs apiece

UP NEXT
Grambling State concludes non-conference play and begins Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) action on Sunday with a trip to Lorman, Miss., to take on Alcorn State. First serve is set for 1 p.m.

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