Lady Jags Keep an Eye to the Future: Loses to Grambling State

Looking to add one more win before the close of the 2017-18 regular season, the Lady Jags took on the Grambling Lady Tigers on Saturday morning in Seymour Gym. While this season has been riddled with losses and mental mistakes, the Lady Jags came into this contest looking for a “W” going into the SWAC tournament next week.
While the first set was as evenly matched as it could be, mental mistakes on behalf of the Lady Jags became their shortcoming in the early parts of the contest.
When big plays were needed, there was a void where the charisma and energy that the Lady Jags are known for normally lies.
A lack of chemistry and a slew of bad breaks took the first set away from the Lady Jags, despite a late push towards the end of the set as the Lady Tigers won the first set, 27-25.
In complete opposition of the first set, however, the Lady Jags marched out for the second set with renewed vigor and an inspired defensive mindset.
Led by senior, Paige Hall, the Lady Jags dominated the Lady Tigers 25-12 in what was a magnificent, defensively oriented set.
The Lady Jags dominated the second set in every way possible as they tied the match 1-1 going into intermission.
The third set was much more closely contested than the second, mirroring the first in many ways.
The defensive energy generated in the second set seemed absent as an inspired Lady Tigers team matched the Lady Jags blow for blow as both sides were tied 20-20 late in the third set.
Unlike the first set, however, the Lady Jags would not be denied a victory regardless of the opposition’s reluctance to go away. With a final score of 25-22, the Lady Jags pulled away and secured victory in the set to take a 2-1 match lead.
The fourth set was a hard fought, grind-it-out contest in which neither side could gain a clear advantage.
Both sides scored with relative ease, though the Lady Jags were determined to outscore the Lady Tigers, whose defense had been a liability the entire match.
Tied 24-24 at the end of the set, the Lady Jags looked to put an end to the contest once and for all, but the Lady Tigers were determined to force a fifth set and have a chance to gain back momentum. They did just that as their offense overpowered Southern’s for a 27-25 victory in the fourth set to force a fifth and deciding set.
The fifth and final set was an outlier among the others.
In the early moments of the fifth, the Lady Jags seemed lost both defensively and offensively. However, after falling behind 8-3 early on in the fifth, the Lady Jags did what they had done all day when faced with adversity; they responded.
Igniting the same defensive fire seen in the second set, the Lady Jags surged both defensively and offensively to drop their deficit to 1 in the fifth. It was all for naught however, as the Tigers pulled away in the fifth set in a score of 15-11 to win the match 3-2.
In speaking with Coach Jacobs, she stressed the need to “be vocal and stay aggressive” during the entirety of the game the next time they played.
Despite the loss however, Coach Jacobs was pleased with how her squad responded when faced with adversity, saying, “I think our team understands what it means to have a sense of urgency”. In both the first and fifth sets, the two the Lady Jags lost, their willingness to keep fighting and continuing to play despite their deficit shone brightly and it showed just how much heart this team has.
Mariah Clayton, the only senior on the team, wore a solemn smile on her face as she dropped her final home game as a Lady Jag.
When asked how she felt, she admitted that she “really doesn’t want to leave”. At the same time however, the prospect of being able to play again next week to make up for what was surely a lost opportunity at home was enough to reignite the fire of competition in her eyes. The Lady Jags have the potential to make noise in the tournament next week, regardless of who they end up playing.
A loss like today’s, however, was just the wake up call they needed to be ready for the challenge that the SWAC tournament will surely pose. If they find their stride and play consistently as did in the second set, however, there is no limit to what the Lady Jags team can accomplish.