NASHVILLE -- Aleksandra Rojecka recorded her first double-double of the year, but it was not enough as the Tennessee State Tiger volleyball team fell Thursday as the UC San Diego Tritons 3-1 (20-25, 25-18, 17-25, 26-28) in the first game of the Tiger-Bruin Invitational. The Tigers found energy against a tough Triton team from a raucous crowd that came to help them celebrate receiving their 2022 OVC championship rings.
"I am extremely excited to have a crowd like that here," said TSU head coach Donika Sutton. "This game went to four sets, and they could have left, but they didn't. With every rollercoaster ride the match gave us, they stuck with us. I appreciate it so much."
Rojecka registered a team-leading 14 kills and had 12 digs on the day. Jayla Holcombe added 13 kills and swung at a .346 clip to help the attack. Freshman Celianiz Cabranes also pitched in with five service aces in the contest. Hennesys Lalane quarterbacked the offense to the tune of 34 assists. On the defensive end, Cabranes chipped in with 21 digs to go with four blocks from Gabrielle Johnson. For Holcombe, this was her first time playing at Kean. She was amazed by the crowd and the play of Rojecka.
'The atmosphere was amazing; it helped us knowing that our fans had our backs," said Holcombe. "I think Ola (Rojecka) did amazing. She brought the energy and the aggressiveness to the game today. I feel like it is all coming together. I wanted to cry (during the ring ceremony). Before I transferred here, we were watching them through the season. Kennedy Davis is my old club teammate. I watched them, They deserved it. They are going to bring that same energy this year."
Game Notes
» Cabranes had a match-high five aces in the loss.
» Rojecka registered a double-double with 14 kills and 12 digs
» Johnson led the team with a .389 hitting percentage.
» TSU got a match-high 21 digs from Cabranes.
» A match-high 34 assists from Lalane helped Tiger attackers.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Tigers were in an early hole, dropping the first set 25-20. Tennessee State trailed by as many as eight points as UCSD grabbed the advantage for good at 4-3 in a set that was tied up four times before the Tritons took control. TSU struggled, only hitting .071 in the set.
SET 2 | TSU evened the match at 1-1 with a 25-18 victory in set two. The Tigers never trailed by more than five points and grabbed the advantage for good at 13-12 in a set that showcased four lead changes before TSU took over the lead. The offense also got a boost from four aces in the stanza. Down 6-3 early, the Tigers went on a 4-0 spurt to take the lead, with Holcombe getting two service aces during the run. Rojecka went on a roll, scoring points nine, ten, 11, and 13 for TSU on kills. Her play gave the Tigers the spurt they needed to go on an 8-2 run to take control of the set. Holcombe's kill finished the set off for the TSU.
SET 3 | UCSD responded to win set number three, putting Tennessee State in a two sets to one hole 25-17. Tennessee State trailed by as many as eight points as UCSD grabbed the advantage for good at 8-7 in a set that was tied up four times before the Tritons took over the lead.
SET 4 | TSU lost the fourth set, 28-26, to finish the match. The Tigers fell in a close set, losing in a stanza tied six times with three lead changes. TSU had a 16-13 advantage in kills but was plagued by four service errors. Early on, it looked like the Tigers would push the match to a fifth by taking a 13-8 lead on a Holcombe kil. UCSD's 4-0 run got them back in the set, forcing TSU to burn a timeout. The set went back and forth until the Tigers went up 23-20 on an attack error. The Tritons rallied back to end the match.
The Tigers will return to action on Friday when they take on Jackson State at 6 p.m.
