Alabama State turns away Texas Southern in the SWAC championship match

JACKSON, Miss. – The Texas Southern University volleyball team's 2016 season came to an end Sunday at the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament's championship match as the Lady Tigers fell to Alabama State in four matches.
 
Scores of the match were 16-25, 25-17, 25-17, and 25-14.
 
Kali Fluke knocked down nine kills for the Lady Tigers in her final collegiate match. Fellow seniors Audriana Carson and Ashlynn Caldwell recorded six kills and four kills, respectively.
 
Senior libero Allison Woods led TSU's defensive effort with 14 digs.
 
The SWAC's Freshman of the Year Bayle' Bennett led Alabama State with a match-high 19 kills on 42 attempts, finishing the afternoon with a .357 hitting percentage. Ni'yesha Brown chipped in nine kills for the Lady Hornets.
 
The win sends Alabama State to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three seasons. Texas Southern's trip to the SWAC championship match was the program's first since 1994, when the Lady Tigers won the conference title.
 
Ellena Torres handed out 11 assists, while Asia Howard recorded 10 assists for the Lady Tigers. Howard also tallied nine digs, while Fluke added eight digs and eight total blocks.
 
Texas Southern finished the season with a record of 22-11; Alabama State improved their record to 24-8. ASU handed the Lady Tigers their only two losses in conference play, as TSU won 16 out of 18 league games. The Hornets went 18-0 in league play.
 
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