HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — South Carolina State opened the 2026 volleyball season with a milestone victory and several encouraging performances Friday at the Alabama A&M Invitational, earning a five-set comeback win over Mississippi Valley State before falling to host Alabama A&M.
The Lady Bulldogs finished the opening day 1-1, highlighted by interim head coach
Chymaine Guinyard earning her first victory as a head coach at South Carolina State.
SC State 3, Mississippi Valley State 2
South Carolina State showed resilience in its season opener, rallying from a two-set deficit to defeat Mississippi Valley State 17-25, 20-25, 25-20, 25-19, 15-6 at Elmore Gymnasium. The Bulldogs improved their offensive production throughout the match and closed the contest by hitting .344 in the fourth set and .368 in the decisive fifth set.
After dropping the opening two sets, SC State responded by winning three straight. The Bulldogs took control of the fifth set, holding Mississippi Valley State to three kills and a minus-.150 hitting percentage while producing nine kills with only two errors on 19 attacks.
Ki'ra Wright led a balanced SC State attack with a match-high 18 kills while hitting .289. She also contributed 14 digs, five assists and two block assists to finish with 19 points.
Taelyn Graham delivered an efficient performance with nine kills on 16 attacks and just one error for a team-best .500 hitting percentage. Graham added a solo block, three block assists and an ace for 12.5 points.
De'Oni McPhearson added nine kills while hitting .238 and was active at the net with two solo blocks and three block assists.
Setter
Macey McCoy directed the Lady Bulldogs' offense with 38 assists while adding four kills and eight digs.
Jordan Dalland led SC State defensively with 18 digs, while
Kenna Harris finished with nine kills and 11 digs.
Chloe Neal added 10 digs and two service aces.
SC State finished with 59 kills, 54 assists, 67 digs and 10 total blocks while limiting Mississippi Valley State to a .076 hitting percentage. The Bulldogs' ability to respond after falling behind 2-0 provided Guinyard with her first victory at the helm of the program.
Alabama A&M 3, SC State 0
In Friday's second match, SC State faced a strong Alabama A&M squad and fell in straight sets, 25-10, 25-14, 25-7. The Lady Bulldogs finished the first day of the season with a 1-1 record, while Alabama A&M improved to 2-0.
Despite the setback,
Jessika Martinez provided a bright spot offensively, leading SC State with six kills on 17 attacks and a .176 hitting percentage. Martinez also contributed a block assist and finished with a team-high 6.5 points.
Harris and
Amani Hawkins each added three kills. McCoy and
Arianna James shared the setting responsibilities with four assists apiece, while both also recorded five digs. Dalland added four digs as SC State continued to work different combinations during the opening weekend.
SC State's best offensive stretch came in the second set, when the Lady Bulldogs recorded eight kills and hit .115.
NEXT UP: South Carolina State returns to action on Saturday (Aug, 29) versus University of Arkansas Pine bluff in a 2 p.m. start.
