Day One Recap (Friday, November 14, 2008)
Match One: Alabama A&M d. Prairie View A&M 3-2
Karensa Beckford tallied 18 kills, six digs and five blocks while all-conference performer Madinah Abdullah finished with 11 kills, 16 digs and three blocks as the defending tournament champion AAMU Bulldogs won their opening-round match against 2006 tournament champion Prairie View A&M.
The Lady Panthers jumped out in the first set 25-17 before AAMU won the second by the same margin. The teams traded wins in the third and fourth sets before Alabama A&M won the fifth set 17-15.
Cheri Lindsay led the Lady Panthers with 13 kills and eight digs while Sharonda Marshall finished 10 kills and three blocks.
Match Two: Texas Southern d. Jackson State 3-2
Texas Southern won the first, third and fifth sets as they pulled off an upset in the opening round of the 2008 SWAC Volleyball Championship – defeating Jackson State 3-2.
Ashlee Cooper had a team-high 17 kills along with five blocks in the match. Emma Obi added 10 kills and three blocks while Jerleesa King had six kills and nine digs.
Jackson State was led by Brittany Larkin’s 20 kills, five digs and two blocks. Ebonee Dawson tallied 14 kills and four digs while Shunta Issac had 10 kills in the match.
Match Three: Southern d. Mississippi Valley State 3-2
Ena Payne’s 19 kills and five digs paced the Lady Jaguars as they defeated the Mississippi Valley State Devilettes 3-2 in opening round action.
The Lady Jaguars won the first two sets of the match before MVSU rebounded to take sets three and four. Southern came back to win the deciding set 15-13.
For Southern, Lakenya Simpson had 50 assists and 12 digs while Diane Chavis and Candace Southall each had seven kills in the match.
For Mississippi Valley State, Kantessa Bryant had 21 kills, 18 digs and three blocks while Maura Moed had 12 kills, five digs and four blocks.
Match Four: Grambling State d. Alcorn State 3-0
Kayla Williams had 15 kills and four digs as the Lady Tigers won their opening match of the tournament. SWAC Player of the Year Talon Morgan finished with 39 assists and five digs as Grambling State earned a straight-set victory of the Lady Braves.
Match Five: Jackson State d. Alcorn State 3-0 (Lady Braves eliminated)
In a match-up of intrastate rivals, the Lady Tigers defeated the Lady Braves in straight sets. Nina Baxter led all players with 14 kills while Ebonee Dawson and Brittany Larkin each added nine kills.
For Alcorn State, Joia Jefferson had seven kills while Jasmine Hales and Ashlyn Holmes each had four kills in the match.
Match Six: Prairie View A&M d. Mississippi Valley State 3-0 (Devilettes eliminated)
Sharonda Marshall and Nicole Thompson each had 12 kills while Cheri Lindsay added 11 as the Lady Panthers garnered a straight-set win over Mississippi Valley State. Marshall has 12 kills in 15 attempts (.800 hitting percentage) while Prairie View as a team tallied a .355 hitting clip.
Maura Moed led Mississippi Valley State with eight kills while Porsha Cummings added seven kills in the match.
Match Seven: Grambling State d. Texas Southern 3-0
Ashley Cooper led all players with 10 kills and three blocks as Grambling State moved on in the two-day tournament. Kendra Johnson has eight kills and three aces while Kayla Williams had five kills.
For Texas Southern, Krystal Obi had six kills and a block while Jerleesa King had five kills in the contest.
Match Eight: Alabama A&M d. Southern 3-0
Karensa Beckford had 12 kills while Courtney Jenkins had nine kills as the Bulldogs swept Southern to move on in the tournament. Madinah Abdullah and Cassidy Brazelton each had six kills in the match.
For Southern, Ena Payne had six kills and three digs while Candace Southall had five kills and five digs.
Match Nine: Prairie View A&M d. Texas Southern 3-0 (Lady Tigers eliminated)
Shaun Williams had 11 kills and two blocks while Cheri Lindsay had nine kills and six digs as the Lady Panthers eliminated their intrastate rival – the Lady Tigers of Texas Southern. Latoya Taylor had seven kills and two digs.
Jerleesa King had nine kills and seven digs for Texas Southern. Ashlee Cooper added seven kills and a block.
Match Ten: Jackson State d. Southern 3-0 (Lady Jaguars eliminated)
Brittany Larkin had 12 kills and two digs while Nina Baxter added 10 kills and five digs as Jackson State moved on the tournament. Erica Greer, Ebonee Dawson and Donisha Dunn each had six kills for the Lady Tigers.
Ena Payne led Southern with 11 kills and four blocks while Candace Southall and LaCreesha Allen each had four kills in the match.
