The Prairie View A&M University volleyball team returns to action Tuesday in a non-conference match at Texas-Rio Grande Valley.
 
www.pvpanthers.com will have links for fans to watch Tuesday's match or get live stats free of charge.
 
The Lady Panthers are coming off their opening matches of SWAC play, both on the road. PVAMU trailed two sets to none but rallied back to win the next two games before losing in five at Grambling State Friday. Prairie View A&M stormed back just over 24 hours later to sweep Arkansas-Pine Bluff for the first win of the season Saturday night.
 
"The biggest change was aggressiveness," second-year head coach Tacho Tyler said of the difference in her team after falling behind on Friday. "That was the thing lacking early on. When we're aggressive, we're a completely different team. I think the players finally put it all together. Everyone was aggressive on every point that we played."
 
The Lady Panthers had shown improved play since the start of the season, but had yet to enjoy victory. Few things in sports breed confidence like winning, and there was an improved energy and performance in Monday's practice.  
 
"I think they are starting to buy in to what we've been telling them since the beginning," said Tyler, a PVAMU Hall of Fame volleyball player. "At the beginning, you have a few players that buy in automatically, while others you have to pull with you. After a win and seeing everything we've worked on and stressed as a coaching staff come together, they really believe it. To be rewarded with a win makes them work harder on the little things that we stress every day."  
 
The Lady Panthers had some outstanding performances last week. Larissa Martinez had 27 kills, including a career-high 14 in Saturday's win, and 16 digs. Christen Augustine posted a career-best 22 digs against Grambling and 32 for the weekend. Mykaeli Franklin totaled 48 assists, 13 digs, 10 kills, and six services aces over the weekend, including a career-high 29 assists against GSU.
 
"With Christen and Mykaeli being sophomores, having a freshman like Larissa look up to them doing their jobs makes it easy for Larissa to do hers," Tyler said. "Also having Marina Martinez come off the bench and play multiple spots on the floor was a big boost of confidence for her and the team."
 
This will be the second meeting against UTRGV (8-5) this season, as the teams met in the third game of the season in the Baylor Invitational. Tyler is excited to see how her team plays with a full lineup, as several players missed the early part of the season due to injuries.
 
"I'm definitely looking for us to compete," Tyler said. "There's no reason why we shouldn't be able to have a chance to win. With junior Taylor Goudeau back in the lineup at 6-foot-2, she gives us veteran status outside. Her presence allows us to move players back to their original positions on the floor. I'm looking for us to compete and stay aggressive, which is the name of our game."
 
VOLLEYBALL HOME OPENER TO BENEFIT PEDIATRIC CANCER AWARENESS The Prairie View A&M Lady Panther volleyball team will support awareness for pediatric cancer during its Tuesday, Sept. 27 home opener against St. Thomas.
 
Both PVAMU volleyball and St. Thomas will wear special gold shoe laces, and fans will have the ability to purchase shoe laces for $5 at the 6:30 p.m. match in the William Nicks Building.
 
The Panther Student Body will also participate in the event, as the dorm with the most residents in attendance and the dorm that buys the most shoelaces will win prizes.

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