(Photo by JSU Sports Media)
Cameron Adams
Sports Editor
Jackson State University’s Volleyball team hosted two back-to-back home games over the
weekend.
On Friday, Oct. 14, the Tigers faced off against Florida A&M in a SWAC championship rematch at the Lee E. Williams Athletic and Assembly Center. Jackson State was unable to even the score, as the Rattlers took home the victory, 3-1.
Despite the loss, the Tigers put on a show for the first set. FAMU opened the set with a 6-0 lead, securing five straight kills against Jackson State. JSU remained within striking distance due to their well-known resilience.
The Tigers were able to claw their way back into the game, and tie the game at seven a piece after a floor rattling kill from Jackson State middle blocker, Navaeh Bray, The Rattlers efforts on defense kept JSU in the rearview mirror. They attempted to pull away, by capitalizing on multiple errors made by Jackson State.
The Tigers remained persistent and determined to cut the deficit. They were able to tie the game at 23-23, forcing the Rattlers to call timeout.
After the timeout, FAMU capitalized, but Olivia Flanagan, an outside hitter for the Tigers, responded with a kill of her own, tying the game again at 24 even. The Tigers were able to close out the first set securing a 1-0 lead.
Jackson State struggled to keep up during the second set.
Despite starting the match at four a piece, Jackson State began to fall short as the Rattlers pushed the lead to 17-9.
Bray attempted to keep hope alive for the Tigers, but the deficit was too large to overcome. Florida A&M took the second set 25-15.
With each team holding one set a piece, it was a battle to claim the third set.
Olivia Flanagan was terrorizing the defense of the Rattlers. Flanagan racked up 14 kills, which was the team high for the Tigers.
She recorded the first point of set three for Jackson State and several more as the set continued.
Both teams were giving it their all. The score remained close, as one team recorded a kill the other responded immediately after.
The game remained tied for six consecutive points until FAMU pulled away and captured the third set, 25-21.
The fourth set was yet another ongoing battle for the Tigers.
Flanagan continued to keep Jackson State in the game as the score remained tied at 11.
The Rattlers managed to slither away from the attacking Tigers creating a 20-13 lead.
Despite being a few points away from defeat, the Tigers continued to fight back into the game.
The team was able to score a few more points before falling to Florida A&M, 25-19.
Although Jackson State fell 3-1 to the Rattlers, they would finish their weekend strong, securing a 3-1 victory of their own against Bethune-Cookman University on Sunday, Oct. 16.
