DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Jayden James delivered 20 kills for Jackson State on Sunday afternoon as the Tigers defeated Bethune-Cookman, 3-1 in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) volleyball match inside Richard V. Moore Gymnasium in Daytona Beach, Florida. JSU collected the match on scores of 25-17, 25-17, 22-25, 25-20.
 
Before the game, B-CU paid tribute to five seniors – Alisha Callender, Niara Hightower, Elizabeth Phillips, Ktyal Price and Jasmine Robinson, as well as social media coordinator Victoria Samedy.
 
In a battle for second place in the upcoming SWAC Tournament, Bethune-Cookman (15-13, 12-4 SWAC) fell to the Tigers for the seventh time in the last eight meetings.
 
Jackson State (17-10, 13-3 SWAC) hit .265 in the opening set behind four kills each from the trio of Kyra Dove, Jayden James and Alexis Williams. Kyra Dove turned in her four kills on just four swings. Meanwhile, Bethune-Cookman looked towards middle blocker Niara Hightower with three blocks, while classmate Jasmine Robinson – an outside hitter from Fleming Island, Florida, tallied three blocks of her own.
 
The second set saw B-CU limited to hitting at just a .031 clip as the Wildcats recorded just eight kills with seven errors. Mecca Freeman registered three kills and a block for the Maroon and Gold. But it was JSU's Williams supplying the visitors with five kills and a service ace to help her side pick up the win. In fact, the Tigers served three aces in the set.
 
Bethune-Cookman took the third set after battling back from an early 9-3 deficit.
 
Robinson picked up four kills in the frame, while middle blocker Ktyal Price was perfect hitting in accumulating three kills on three attacks. Hightower posted a pair of blocks alongside Ariel Simmons, with the latter also collecting three kills of her own.
 
The Wildcats trailed 20-16 before a 5-1 run began off the kill of Miami native Simmons. Hightower was joined by Elizabeth Phillips at the net for a block moments before Freeman delivered consecutive kills and freshman setter Nola Hemphill added one of her own. With the set tied 22-22, an attack error from the Tigers' Makenzie Washington allowed B-CU its first lead. Price stamped back-to-back kills to close the win for the Cats.
 
Bethune-Cookman led the fourth set, 14-10 before a furious 10-2 run ensued by JSU, powered mostly by James and Kyra Dove, respectively. The Tigers hit .310 as a team with James providing nine kills and Kyra Dove another four. Robinson had five kills for the Cats. However, 18 kills from the Tigers would see them claim second place heading into the SWAC Tournament in Grambling, Louisiana.
 
JSU was led by James' 20 kills, while teammates Williams (13) and Kyra Dove (12) each finished in double figures as well. Karys Dove, the setter for the Tigers, finished with a match-high 29 assists, and Naija Gadis had 22. Trinity Bryant led all JSU performers with 20 digs.
 
Robinson posted her 11th double-digit kills outing of the year, finishing the match with 12, going on to add five blocks for Bethune-Cookman. Hemphill had 20 assists, and teammate Gianna Mora had 16. Libero Sydni Poston provided a match-high 24 digs, while Hightower finished with seven blocks.
 
Bethune-Cookman's seeding for the SWAC Tournament will be announced later Sunday evening by the league office from its headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama. The tournament gets underway Friday, Nov. 22, on the campus of Grambling State.
 
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