The South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) volleyball team will close out its regular season home state when the Clippers host visiting Tacoma Community College at the Health and Wellness Center on Friday, November 5.
Prior to the Northwest Athletic Conference match, which begins at 7 p.m., SPSCC will celebrate Sophomore Night, which means a full focus on highlighting the career of defensive specialist Jayde Grams, a team captain and the only sophomore on the Clippers’ roster.
“Jayde’s the glue. She holds everything together for this team,” said South Puget Sound Community College Coach Tusalava Kuaea. “She’s so important to us. The majority of our team are freshmen who came right out high school where they didn’t get a season last year. Jayde has been with us for two years and we’re asking a lot out of her this year, and she’s just been incredible. She’s a natural leader.”
A 5-foot-3 graduate of Sumner High School, Grams is the team leader in digs this season with 167. Her 133 digs in conference play rank 33rd overall while her 3.90 digs per set are 21st among conference players.
“I just looked at it as an opportunity for me,” Grams said about her decision to return to the community college after last year’s cancelled season. “It was a big decision to make, but the truth is it was pretty easy because I knew this is where I wanted to be. Everyone has been just so awesome to me here. They’re family to me. That’s what we preach around here and that’s exactly what they are to me.”
Over her two-season career, Grams, who was a freshman during the 2019-20 season, has a combined 297 digs
“From Jayde’s freshman year to now, she has set the bar to what a successful student-athlete should strive for academically and athletically,” Kuaea said. “I’ve had the pleasure to watch Jayde grow in all areas while attending SPSCC and I couldn’t be more proud of her.”
South Puget Sound Community College lost to the Titans, 3-1, during the first match-up in Tacoma on October 8. Sets for the highly-contested match were 25-23, 21-25, 25-20, 25-21. Freshmen Jahnessa Hill and Khalia Craig each posted 12 kills for the Clippers. Emily Snider finished with a match-high 32 assists, while Grams and Silke Constant added 17 and 10 digs, respectively, for SPSCC.
Attendance for all three upcoming home matches will be limited to 150, including players, coaching staff, officials and fans, as per NWAC COVID-19 polices, which also requires fans to wear face coverings.
The match will also be streamed live on the NWAC Sports Network.
Sponsored