HOUSTON — The vibes were electric, the crowd was loud, and the Lady Tigers were locked in as Texas Southern outlasted Jackson State in a five-set thriller Monday night at the Health & Physical Education Arena. With wins of 25-23, 25-27, 20-25, 26-24, and 16-14, TSU remains undefeated in SWAC play and lets the conference know: this team is not to be taken lightly.
Both squads entered the match with perfect SWAC records, but only one left with theirs intact — and that was Texas Southern.
From the jump, TSU brought the heat. Gracie Hill was a straight-up problem, dropping 21 kills and keeping Jackson State scrambling. Lauren Battle was in her bag with 17.5 points and seven kills, while Kourtni Collier held it down at the net with six blocks and 13.5 points.
"Lauren, that's my girl — we talk all the time," Collier said postgame. "As far as my hits, I've been working on placing my balls more than attacking everything, because every kill doesn't have to be an attack. It's more about placement over power."
The match was a rollercoaster — five sets, 30 tie scores, 10 lead changes, and enough drama to fill a homecoming week. TSU took the first set, but Jackson State clapped back with two of their own. Down 2-1, the Lady Tigers said "bet" and turned up the intensity.
In the fourth set, TSU came through clutch with a 26-24 win, thanks to big swings from Hill and Battle and a timely ace from Battle that had the crowd on their feet.
The final frame was pure chaos. Texas Southern jumped ahead 10-4 before Jackson State rallied to tie it at 14. That's when Gracie Lee stepped up with the match-winner off an assist from Ava Ray, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
"This game meant quite a bit, just for the simple fact we haven't beaten them since I've been here," said Head Coach Alexis Austin. "They've kind of been our kryptonite — we always end up playing them in the first round of SWAC. So being able to match up with them tonight, seeing our girls fight it out and overcome some of the hurdles we've been working on — I'm proud of my team and how they pulled through."
"Prairie View is another tough competitor," Austin added. "We have a history with them when it comes to trying to get those wins and keep that streak going. Our girls are ready — they want it."
Next up, the Lady Tigers host rival Prairie View A&M on Thursday, Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. inside the Health & Physical Education Arena.
