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Lady Tigers fork the Devilettes at home

Volleyball team loses prized possessions in robbery of locker room

 

The last time Grambling State and Mississippi Valley State met was in the SWAC Volleyball tournament. Grambling won that match 3-1, giving Miss. Valley their third loss of the season. Grambling fell short in that tournament to Alabama A&M, but a win against Miss. Valley would help would send a message to the SWAC.

Donning orange shirts with the phrase "Volleyball game tonight," members of the Lady Tigers promoted the game to get students to come out to the game.

The tactic worked. Over 250 fans were reported at the game. One fan that most probably didn’t notice was GSU President Judson. Judson was seen conversing with Athletic Director Troy Mathieu about the game as it went on.

The Lady Tigers came out sluggish at first, letting the Devilettes, ranked number one in the East, get the better of them, winning one set. As the match went on, the Lady Tigers, ranked number three in the West, seemed to pick up steam, spiking balls over the Devilettes’ heads.

The action got the fans involved going, "Ooooh!" when a player killed (spiked) the ball, especially Lacey Cormier. Cormier is one of the league’s most powerful killers, making opponents duck and weave when a kill comes their way.

The fans also led the traditional "GSU" chant, distracting the Devilettes. Head Coach David "Rusty" Ponton of the women’s basketball team even got involved, directing the crowd in "The Wave."

With the help of Cormier’s killing and Talon Morgan’s assisting, the Lady Tigers managed to win three straight sets, handing the Devilettes their fifth loss of the season.

Cormier led the Lady Tigers with 19 kills, earning easy points for the Tigers. Chelsey Lucas kept the play alive for the Tigers with 23 digs. Talon Morgan set up 23 assists to her fellow teammates, while acquiring 12 digs of her own.

This win came at a time when they needed it the most.

"Mississippi Valley State is probably one of the toughest teams in the SWAC," said Head Coach Kim Young. "Tonight’s victory is like having a piece of cake. We needed this victory; we need every victory."

Fans gathered around Young, congratulating her on a hard-earned win. Players celebrated on the court, excited to win their fifth game of the season.

What should have been a celebration in the locker room turned into one of disbelief. After putting on a show at home, the Lady Tigers discovered that their locker room had been broken into.

The intruders stole many items from the Lady Tigers’ lockers, including money, wallets, cell phones, and other personal items. Needless to say, the Lady Tigers were upset.

"That was my money to get my car fixed," said one distraught Lady Tiger.

Many of the Lady Tigers were too disappointed to give comments, grumbling about the robbery.

"My phone bill just got paid, and my phone got stolen," said Alexandria Jackson.

There were police officers present during the game, but not in the hallway where the lockers reside. According to various sources, the doors to both the Devilettes’ and Lady Tigers’ locker rooms were locked. However, the conjoining door to the locker rooms was unlocked.

The Devilettes’ kept their personal items on the team bus and were not affected. GSU police arrived on the scene shortly after receiving the call about the robbery.

Phone calls to the GSU Police Department were not returned by press time, and there is no indication that the robbers have been caught.

The Lady Tigers next home game is on Sept. 22 against Prairie View at 6 p.m., according to SWAC.org.