JACKSON, Tenn. — Kentucky State University volleyball split a pair of SIAC road matches over the weekend, sweeping LeMoyne-Owen College on Friday, Oct. 23, before falling in three sets to Lane College on Saturday, Oct. 24.
The Thorobreds opened the weekend with a 3-0 victory over LeMoyne-Owen (25-20, 25-16, 25-21) in Memphis before dropping a competitive matchup against Lane (16-25, 19-25, 24-26) in Jackson, Tennessee.
Kentucky State 3, LeMoyne-Owen 0
Kentucky State delivered a balanced offensive performance and strong serving effort to earn a straight-set victory over LeMoyne-Owen at Bruce Hall/Johnson Gymnasium.
Laila Wheaton led the Thorobreds with a match-high 10 kills while hitting .316.
Jaazaniah Calvert and
Jasmine Henderson contributed eight kills apiece, while
Ananiah Huguely added six kills, nine digs and three service aces.
Setter
Sienna Stewart directed the Kentucky State offense with 26 assists and seven digs. Defensively,
Kirsten Mathews anchored the back row with a match-high 16 digs while adding two service aces.
Kentucky State established control early in the opening set, building a 16-9 advantage behind contributions from Calvert,
Destiny Rogers and Huguely. Although LeMoyne-Owen narrowed the deficit to 22-20, the Thorobreds responded with three consecutive points to secure the 25-20 victory.
The Thorobreds carried that momentum into the second set, racing to a 6-0 lead before extending their advantage to 14-1. Wheaton provided a spark offensively, helping Kentucky State maintain control throughout the frame en route to a 25-16 win.
Kentucky State completed the sweep with a 25-21 victory in the third set.
The Thorobreds finished with 38 kills, 33 assists, 51 digs and seven service aces while holding LeMoyne-Owen to a .053 hitting percentage. Kentucky State posted a .150 hitting percentage and limited the Magicians to 25 kills.
Lane 3, Kentucky State 0
Kentucky State battled through a tightly contested third set but could not overcome Lane College, falling 3-0 at J F Lane Gymnasium.
Wheaton paced the Thorobreds with eight kills and one service ace, while Calvert and Henderson each contributed seven kills. Stewart recorded a team-high 21 assists and added 13 digs, while Mathews led Kentucky State defensively with 17 digs and a service ace.
Lane claimed the opening set 25-16 after breaking away from an early back-and-forth exchange. Kentucky State remained within striking distance during the first half of the set, but the Dragons used a late scoring surge to pull away.
In the second set, Kentucky State opened with an early advantage and led 9-5 following contributions from Wheaton, Calvert and Huguely. Lane responded to erase the deficit, eventually securing a 25-19 victory and taking a two-set lead.
The Thorobreds delivered their strongest offensive performance in the third set, recording 12 kills with just two attack errors for a .233 hitting percentage. Kentucky State pushed Lane beyond the regulation 25-point mark before the Dragons escaped with a 26-24 victory to complete the sweep.
Kentucky State finished the match with 31 kills, 26 assists, 65 digs and three service aces. The Thorobreds recorded two solo blocks and held Lane to a narrow two-point victory in the final set.
Lane was led by Jaylin Johnson, who recorded 13 kills and 12 digs. Brianney Reyes added 10 kills and 18 digs, while Alexandra Garcia dished out 28 assists. Andrijana Cicvaric led the Dragons defensively with 27 digs.
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