NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee State volleyball returns to the road for its final away series of the regular season, traveling to St. Charles, Mo., for a two-match Ohio Valley Conference matchup against Lindenwood on Thursday, Nov. 12, and Friday, Nov. 13.

The Tigers enter the weekend looking to build on a competitive performance against Southern Indiana, highlighted by a tightly contested opening set and a strong defensive showing in Saturday's series finale.

Last Time Out

Tennessee State dropped a pair of three-set decisions to Southern Indiana at Kean Hall last weekend, but showed encouraging stretches on both sides of the net.

In Saturday's finale, the Tigers pushed the Screaming Eagles to extra points in the opening set before falling 27-25. Tennessee State hit .257 in the frame, recording 14 kills while building a 23-18 advantage.

The Tigers also battled back in the third set, trimming a seven-point deficit to one at 18-17 before Southern Indiana secured the 25-20 decision.

Wiktoria Jakubik led Tennessee State with nine kills Saturday, while Gabrielle Washington recorded six kills, four solo blocks and one block assist. Washington finished with a team-high 10.5 points.

Sydni Poston anchored the back row with 16 digs, while Triniti Jackson distributed 16 assists.

Tigers to Watch

Wiktoria Jakubik has provided a consistent offensive presence for Tennessee State. The senior totaled 17 kills across six sets against Southern Indiana, averaging 2.83 kills per set while hitting .263. She led the Tigers in kills in both matches, recording eight Friday and nine Saturday.

Gabrielle Washington continues to make an impact at the net. The junior recorded eight total blocks over the weekend, including four solo blocks Saturday. She added 10 kills across the two matches and hit .310 for the series.

Sydni Poston has been a key contributor defensively, recording 16 digs in Saturday's contest.

Triniti Jackson continues to direct the Tennessee State offense. The freshman setter totaled 31 assists against Southern Indiana, including 16 in Saturday's match.

Scouting Lindenwood

Lindenwood enters the series following a pair of road victories over UT Martin, sweeping the Skyhawks in three sets before earning a four-set win in the series finale.

The Lions have established an efficient offensive attack, led by setter Kaci Johnson, who distributed 80 assists across seven sets against UT Martin. Lindenwood hit .335 for the weekend.

Autumn Bax contributed 22 kills while hitting .405, and freshman Lauren Ortwerth added a team-high 24 kills, averaging 3.43 per set.

Defensively, Dana Grib totaled 28 digs across the two matches, averaging 4.00 digs per set.

The Tigers will look to challenge Lindenwood's offense with their presence at the net while continuing to develop the offensive rhythm they displayed against Southern Indiana.

Up Next

Following the Lindenwood series, Tennessee State returns to Kean Hall for its final home matches of the regular season against UT Martin on Nov. 17-18. The series will feature Faculty and Staff Appreciation and Senior Night as the Tigers close out their home schedule.