PRAIRIE VIEW — The Prairie View A&M volleyball team kept its winning streak going as they defeated arch-rival Texas Southern in straight sets during Southwestern Athletic Conference action Thursday evening in the Baby Dome.
 
Set scores were 25-21, 25-13 and 25-20. The win marks the Lady Panthers' third sweep in a row after they handled both Southern and Grambling State in similar fashion last week.
 
"Everything was on point today," Head Coach TaCho Tyler said. "All of our hitters hit in the positive, which is great for us. It's always good news when all of our offense is high-powered. Our defense was also really great. I love that our defense stepped up and dug a lot of balls today."


The Lady Panthers (7-17, 7-1 SWAC) took an early 8-2 lead in the first set, with steady offensive play keeping them ahead. The advantage held strong throughout the period, and the Lady Panthers didn't allow the Lady Tigers to come within more than three points on their way to a 1-0 set lead.
 
Prairie View continued to start fast, as they quickly took control with a 6-2 surge to open the next stanza. The PVAMU defense smothered Texas Southern as a 10-3 run midway through the frame pushed the Lady Panthers ahead by double digits in a dominant set two victory.
 
In the third set, the teams traded points until senior right side hitter CeTara Carter asserted herself with four kills during an 8-2 Lady Panthers run that put them ahead 17-12. The Lady Panthers cruised from there as TSU got no closer than four the rest of the way.
 
Carter led the team with 16 kills, one dig and one block. Junior middle blocker Victoria Pearson followed with 12 kills, five digs, two blocks and one assist. Junior outside hitter Tamaira Armstrong also contributed with 10 digs, eight kills and one block.
 
Tyler said a hard schedule in the beginning of the season prepared the team for SWAC play, and the victories soon followed.
 
"We played a tough schedule on purpose, so that we were prepared for when we got to conference," she said. "We were going four and five sets with a lot of really good schools, and I think that prepped us for the conference. And once we got a taste of winning in the [SWAC] Roundup, they just wanted some more."
 
Next, the Lady Panthers will face the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff on Sunday, Oct. 13. The match will be held at 5 p.m. in the Baby Dome.