Box Score
GRAMBLING, La.- Florida A&M will take home the 2024 Southwestern Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament title after topping Jackson State 3-1 (25-23, 25-23, 8-25, 25-15) on Sunday.
GAME NOTES
- The win cemented FAMU's third SWAC championship title in four years (2024, 2022, 2021).
- With a 27-6 record, the Rattlers have achieved their third 20-win season under head coach Gokhan Yilmaz. The 27 victories mark the most in a single season during Yilmaz's tenure, surpassing the team's 25-7 record in 2021 and 21-13 record in 2022.
- On their way to winning the regular season and tournament championships, the Rattlers posted an undefeated 19-0 record against conference opponents.
- Brooke Lynn Watts (13) and Jada Rhodes (12) both finished with double-digit kills. Watts also posted her 11th double-double with 15 digs.
- Isis Williams finished with a season-high 10 blocks. The senior also added five kills and five digs.
- With 297 career blocks, Williams also moved to sixth all-time in program history, surpassing Randi Lee (1991-94).
- Makenzie Taylor recorded a team-high 16 assists against JSU.
- Tinons Galmés contributed a match-high 19 digs.
- Jackson State was led in kills by Nyjha Marcelin and Hope Briggs.
- Jackson State's Naija Gadis posted a team high 16 digs during the match.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET ONE | Thanks to consecutive blocks by Williams, FAMU fought back to even the score at 5-5 after falling behind 5-2. There were 10 additional ties in the set – the last at 23 – before back-to-back blocks by Williams closed things out.
Williams played a part in all six of FAMU's blocks this set.
SET TWO | The Tigers held a 15-13 lead before yielding four straight points to FAMU. London Hatch's service ace forced JSU to call a timeout at 17-15; still, the teams battled through four more ties.
With JSU up 20-19, the Rattlers surged ahead for good on a 4-0 run.
SET THREE | Jackson State led the third set from start to finish, at one point commanding a 7-0 advantage.
SET FOUR | The Rattlers cruised ahead with an early 6-0 run.
A listing of the 2024 SWAC Volleyball All-Tournament is listed below.
Most Valuable Player
Brooke Lynn Watts, Florida A&M
All-Tournament Team
Essence Allen, Grambling State
Kylee Owens, Prairie View A&M
Ktyal Price, Bethune-Cookman
Jayden James, Jackson State
Trinity Bryant, Jackson State
Alexis Williams, Jackson State
Brooke Lynn Watts, Florida A&M
Isis Williams, Florida A&M
Makenzie Taylor, Florida A&M
About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis.
Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.
Follow the SWAC
For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at
www.swac.org