JACKSON, Miss. – After breezing through most of their first four matches in the SWAC Round-Up, the Alabama State women's volleyball team faced their biggest task in their final match.

Rallying back from being down two sets to none, the Lady Hornets shifted their game plan to complete the comeback and a 5-0 record on Saturday inside the tightly packed home confines of Jackson State at T.B. Ellis Gymnasium.

While none of the matches in the Round-Up counted towards the SWAC standings, it served as a statement weekend to the SWAC's West Division that ASU should again be a very tough out come late November when the SWAC Tournament is played in Baton Rouge. 

Alabama State pulled out largely a team effort to outlast Texas Southern 3-2 (22-25, 19-25, 25-17, 25-18, 15-9).

In the deciding set, Rachel Smith came up with a kill to give ASU a 5-4 advantage and the lead it would not relinquish. 

An attacking error by TSU, a service ace by Smith and another TSU attack error made it 8-4. 

After TSU cut it to 8-6, Amber Bennett fired up a kill and Chelsey Scott and Marshall rose for a block to go up 10-6.  Scott picked up a kill to make it 11-7.

Marshall put one just inside the corner of the court to push it to 13-7. 

Tiara Kelley and Scott closed it up with a kill apiece. 

Kelley finished with 14 kills, Smith added 11 kills, 15 digs and four aces and Marshall compiled eight kills, eight digs and five blocks. 

Jamie Coleman produced a career-best 24 digs and MacDonald led with 22 assists.  

In their opening match, the Lady Hornets (12-12 overall) made short work of Arkansas-Pine Bluff and defeated the Lady Lions 3-0 (25-13, 25-13, 25-15) in less than an hour.

Lax and easy-going, Alabama State seized control early and never let go as the team hit a highly efficient .375 hitting percentage. 

Senior Amber Bennett laid some thunderous spikes throughout to tally a team-best nine kills. 

The front line attack of the Lady Hornets proved to be overwhelming at times as the spread attack worked wonders for ASU women's volleyball coach Penny Lucas-White.

Briana Dorsey had seven kills, Myla Marshall and Tiara Kelley each had six kills apiece and Rachel Smith sprinkled in five kills of her own. 

Next, Alabama State will play at South Carolina State on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

#GOHORNETS#