ALBANY, Ga. – Tuskegee volleyball fought hard but came up short in its first two SIAC East Crossover matches on Thursday, falling in straight sets to both Albany State and Savannah State inside the HPER Gym.

The Golden Tigers (5-3, 0-2 SIAC) saw stretches of strong play but could not sustain momentum against two of the league's early-season contenders.

Albany State 3, Tuskegee 0
In the opener against Albany State, Tuskegee battled through three tightly contested sets before falling 25-21, 26-24, 25-22.

The Golden Tigers started well in the first set, with Najwa Williams and Jordyn Jones powering the offense early, while Mikea Allen kept the attack balanced with quick distribution.

Tuskegee rallied late in the second frame, erasing a four-point deficit to tie it at 24–24 after a kill from Williams and a block by Jones and Kayla Coleman, but Albany State closed with back-to-back points to take control.

The third set saw Tuskegee jump out to a 7–4 lead behind kills from Williams and Breunna Crawford, but the Golden Rams used a decisive mid-set run to pull away and secure the sweep.

Williams finished with a team-high eight kills and eight digs, while Jones added six kills and three blocks. Allen directed the offense with 11 assists and contributed defensively with eight digs.

Savannah State 3, Tuskegee 0
Tuskegee returned to the court in the evening to face Savannah State and once again found themselves in competitive sets before falling 25-17, 25-17, 25-17.

Tuskegee never found its footing in the matchup against Savannah State, falling behind early and playing from behind the entire way.

The Golden Tigers struggled to generate consistent offense while Savannah State maintained control with steady serving and opportunistic scoring. Despite late efforts from Najwa Williams and Jordyn Jones at the net, Tuskegee was unable to close the gap and ultimately dropped the set without ever holding a lead.

Zariah Messick and Williams led the team with six kills each, while Jones added five kills, four digs, three service aces, and two blocks.

Allen and Sahnee Dillahunt-Nedd combined for 17 assists, and Allen added eight digs, followed by seven from Dillahunt-Nedd to pace the defense.

Up Next
Tuskegee continues crossover play on Friday with matchups against Clark Atlanta and Allen to close out the weekend.

Follow the Golden Tigers
Stay connected with Tuskegee Volleyball on Twitter and Instagram (@Skegeevball). For complete coverage of Tuskegee University athletics, follow on social media at @MyTUAthletics (Twitter/Instagram), @GoldenTigerSports on Facebook, and visit the official home of Tuskegee University athletics at www.goldentigersports.com.