Birmingham, Ala.—For the third consecutive season, and fourth in the last five years, Kentucky State University volleyball has been crowned Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Champions.
 
"I'm very thankful for all the commitments and sacrifices my team has made this season," said head coach Katrina English. "This honor was well deserved. The ladies played hard against a solid team. They showed a lot of guts and determination; I couldn't have asked for more."
 
The Thorobrettes (26-12, 16-4) took down LeMoyne Owen College in a thrilling 3-2 battle, clinching a berth into the NCAA Division II Championship Tournament. The Lady Magicians (20-10, 14-5) had their memorable season come to an end, after failing to make the tournament a season ago, to the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament in 2017.
 
KSU jumped out early with a 2-0 match lead, but LOC challenged the defending champs every step of the way, with each set being decided by less than five points. The Lady Magicians rallied in the third, building confidence along the way for a 25-14 win in the third set.
 
The fourth set proved to be another tug of war, as the two west division representatives were tied at 20-20. LOC ended the set with a 5-1 advantage, forcing a fifth and deciding set. The Thorobreds jumped out to a 14-9 lead, but the Lady Magicians pulled together for another rally in the Magic City, drawing to a 14-14 tie. Following an attack error, junior middle blocker Landri Greathouse slammed home the match point, claiming the 2017 title with a 16-14 victory.
 
Three Throrobrettes picked up double-doubles in the final, with freshman outside hitter Makayla Martin leading the way with a career-high 23 kills and 19 digs. Her fellow freshman outside hitter Robin Poole cashed in 13 kills and 16 digs.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Hannah Smyers saved her best for last in the conference tournament as she accounted for her fourth straight double-double for her conference-high in assists with 49, 16 digs, and six kills. 
 
Concluding the match, English was named the Coach of the Tournament, while freshman libero Gabriella Gracia, freshman middle blocker Jalynn Roberts, and Smyers were named to the all-tournament squad.


 
KSU will now await its position and opponent in the South Region of the NCAA DII Championship Tournament. The Thorobrettes will travel to Pensacola, Florida and play on Dec. 7.