Prairie View A&M squeaked in to the last SWAC Championship Tournament spot, going 1-3 in the second SWAC Round-up from March 30-31 in Baton Rouge, La. The Lady Panthers tennis team did a complete 180 compared to their first SWAC Round-up competition, in which they finished 3-1 and seemed to be in prime position for a No. 1 seeding.
 
The bright spot in the tournament for Prairie View A& M was the play of No. 3 singles player Lerato Ndlovu, who went 3-1 in the on Friday and Saturday. Ndlovu started off hot, going 3-0 before finally succumbing to Gabrielle Moore of Southern in the final match of the SWAC Round-Up.
 
“She's probably been the best player all year,” Prairie View A&M tennis coach John Cochran said. “She's been playing like a most valuable player. She did what she was supposed to, and she's been ready.”
 
She defeated Merilin Tip of Alcorn State 2-6, 6-3, 10-4 on Day 1 and followed it up with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Charmaine Wetherill. On Day 2 Ndlovu picked up where she left off with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff's Fabiola Cardoso, but lost the last match of the day to Moore 6-3, 6-0.
 
Team-wise Prairie View A&M struggled to find consistency, with is only win of the round-up coming against Grambling State in a 6-1 match. For the Panthers to be successful in the SWAC Championships on April 20 in Alexandria, La. the Lady Panthers will need to draw from the play of their teammates.
 
“They've got to play together,” Cochran said. “If they don't all play at the same time then we have no chance. But I think they will band together, and we will have a good chance at winning.”

The Lady Panthers will host Texas-Pan American at 3 p.m. on Friday, March 6.