HOUSTON — With the Homecoming crowd bringing the energy, Texas Southern volleyball delivered a show-stopping performance Monday night, sweeping Grambling State (25-12, 29-27, 25-12) at the Health & Physical Education Arena.
The Lady Tigers fed off the festive vibes, jumping out to a dominant start and never looking back. Standout Gracie Hill was electric, slamming down 14 kills on a scorching .706 hitting percentage. Senior Kourtni Collier added 12 kills and four aces, keeping the momentum rolling for TSU.
Setter Ava Ray dished out 34 assists and added seven digs, while Morelia Lorenzo Diaz held it down in the back row with 10 digs and a 92% reception rate. TSU's defense was locked in, holding Grambling to a .130 hitting percentage and forcing 26 attack errors.
The second set was a thriller, with both teams trading blows before TSU pulled away 29-27. But the third set was all maroon and gray, as the Lady Tigers closed the match with a statement win in front of a lively Homecoming crowd.
"I told our girls, This is what we know you can do, and we expect you to do it — we hold you to that standard," said head coach Alexis Austin. "The key is to get the win. We don't want to lie down — our goal is to continue to apply pressure.
That final timeout, as we saw the tit-for-tat, we knew there was going to come a time where we had to battle with them. We had to stay disciplined. It was all about, 'Hey, you have to fight — and you have to fight disciplined.'"
With the win, TSU remains near the top of the SWAC standings and continues to build momentum heading into the second half of conference play. The Lady Tigers will now hit the road for a Friday night matchup at 6 p.m. against Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach.
