ITTA BENA, Miss. – The Devilettes of Mississippi Valley State University ended their season on a high note by defeating Jackson State in four sets Thursday.
 
After dropping the first set by a score of 25-21, the Devilettes came back and won the next three sets by scores of 25-20, 25-21, and 25-20.
 
Valley freshman Tyler Caliste came off the bench and knocked down a team-high 13 kills to lead the Devilettes. After not playing in set one, Caliste entered the match in set two, and hit .290, recording her 13 kills on 31 attempts with only four errors.
 
Destini Banks knocked down 10 kills while hitting .368 to lead the Valley attack Thursday; she was also in on five total blocks – one solo and four assisted.
 
Senior hitter Taylor Selfridge put away nine kills and tallied 12 digs in her final collegiate match. Valley freshman Chardea Berthelot also knocked down nine kills; she hit .467 as she tallied her nine kills on only 15 attempts.
 
In her final collegiate match, Brooklyn Hudson handed out a career-high 41 assists – topping her previous season high of 40. Senior hitter Kalin Barnes recorded 12 digs, as did Jessica Bell, to help lead the Valley defensive effort. Kiya Garza chipped in 11 digs.
 
Valley hit .275 as a team, putting away 50 kills and committing only 14 errors on 131 attempts. The .275 hitting percentage was the team's best mark against an NCAA Division I opponent this season; Valley hit .286 in a sweep at NAIA opponent Crowley's Ridge in September.
 
The Devilettes were at their best in set two, when they put away 12 kills on 23 attempts while not committing a single attacking error, good for a .522 hitting percentage. Selfridge knocked down four kills on eight attempts during set two, while Bell served three service aces – all on the same rotation.
 
In set three – which featured eight ties and six lead changes – the Devilettes showed their resiliency when they came back after trailing by as many as five points. Trailing 18-14, the Devilettes scored five unanswered points, with Caliste and Banks accounting for two kills apiece; the other point was a service from Garza.
 
Set four was just as exciting as set three, as it featured four tie scores. The Devilettes began to pull away when they used a 10-3 run to turn a two-point advantage into a 20-11 lead. Jackson State responded with a 9-3 run of their own to close the gap to 23-20, but Valley recovered to score the last two points – with Berthelot finishing the game with a free ball that fell in-bounds for the final point.
 
The win gave Valley a winning record of 3-2 in their five home matches this season. The Devilettes defeated both in-state rivals – Jackson State and Alcorn State – at home this season.
 
Prior to the match, the Devilettes honored their seniors Selfridge, Hudson, Barnes, and Terrea Sims. Sims started the match and had two attacks in set one.
 
Valley finished the season with a record of 6-27, and 3-15 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play.
 
Tielar Richards led Jackson State (11-24, 9-9 SWAC) with a match-high 17 kills. She had 13 kills and no errors on her first 19 attempts. She finished with five errors on 33 total attempts.