PRAIRIE VIEW — The Prairie View A&M volleyball team started conference play with an impressive 4-1 mark following the first Southwestern Athletic Conference volleyball roundup of the season.

The Lady Panthers picked up a pair of statement wins, taking down defending tournament champion Alabama State and defending regular-season champion Alabama A&M in five-set thrillers Saturday, but fell in three sets with a 3-0 loss to Jackson State on Sunday.

JSU 3, PVAMU 0 (20-25, 21-25, 26-28)
Despite a valiant effort, the Lady Panthers were unable to overcome the Tigers on the final day of the conference roundup.

"We just ran out of gas," PVAMU Head Volleyball Coach TaCho Tyler said. "We had two back-to-back five set matches that went the distance yesterday, so we just came out sluggish today."

The Lady Panthers came out strong in the first set, as they took a quick 4-0 lead over the Lady Tigers, who rebounded with a 10-3 run. Prairie View responded with three quick points to get within reach at 11-10, but Jackson State used a 7-1 spurt to effectively seal the first set.

Set two was a nip-and-tuck battle with both sides battling to a 16-16 tie. Both teams continued trading points until a 5-1 Jackson State run left the Lady Panthers in a 0-2 hole heading into the third set, where Prairie View A&M fell behind early thanks to a 4-1 deficit.

Trailing nearly the whole way, the Lady Panthers clawed back into matters, getting within two of Jackson State at 15-13. Prairie View ultimately tied the game 23-23 but were unable to convert its lone set point chance of the match as Jackson State ultimately stole the set and the match.

Junior outside hitter Tamaira Armstrong led the team with 15 kills, five digs and two blocks. Junior middle blocker Victoria Pearson followed with 10 kills, two digs, two blocks and one assist. Freshman middle blocker Hannah Estupinan also contributed with five kills and four blocks.

PVAMU 3, Alabama State 2 (22-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-16, 15-9; Sept. 28)

 Down 0-2 entering the third set against the defending tournament champion Lady Hornets, the Lady Panthers opened the frame with a 9-6 advantage and led for much of the way before the Lady Hornets tied the game at 19-19, Unfazed, Prairie View A&M was able to dictate the pace down the stretch to cut the set deficit in half.

The teams tied three times in the fourth set, the latest at 9-9. Prairie View then took control of the game at 13-10 and the Lady Panthers cruised from there, capitalizing on Lady Hornet miscues during its match-tying flourish. With momentum firmly in their corner heading to the final set, the Lady Panthers broke open a 9-9 tie with a 6-0 match-winning run.

Armstrong dominated to the tune of 27 kills and nine digs, while Pearson followed with 15 kills, five digs and two assists. Estupinan also contributed with 10 kills, six digs and two blocks.

PVAMU 3, Alabama A&M 2 (25-20, 24-26, 25-18, 23-25)

 After controlling the first set only to be nipped late in the second set against the reigning regular-season conference champion Lady Bulldogs, the Lady Panthers roared out of the gate with a 6-1 surge to start the third frame. Alabama A&M pulled within 9-7, but Prairie View responded with a 6-2 run. The resulting cushion held strong the rest of the set.

Self-inflicted errors hurt the Lady Panthers in the fourth set, who saw a 19-16 lead turn into a 22-19 hole late in the stanza. Though Prairie View A&M managed to tie the match at 22-all, Alabama A&M ended the period on 3-1 run, sending the match to the fifth set. There, Prairie View A&M overcame a 7-6 deficit, powering past Alabama A&M with an 8-3 run to earn the 3-2 match win.

Armstrong led the team with 17 digs, 14 kills and one assist. Pearson followed with 13 kills and six digs. Junior outside hitter Melanie Arenas also contributed with 12 kills, seven digs and one assist.

"The execution and consistency were really good (Saturday)," Tyler said. "They just kept fighting. We lost games like those in the preseason, and they just said no more. They were really resilient."

Next up:

The Lady Panthers will return to the road as they face Grambling State on their home floor on Sunday, Oct. 6. First serve is set for 5 p.m. in Grambling, La.

 

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