BEAUMONT, TX -- Prairie View A&M University's volleyball team encountered a challenging non-conference event at Neches Arena at the Montagne Center, in Beaumont, TX, falling to the Lamar Cardinals with a final score of 3-1.
Despite a fighting effort shown by Prairie View, they could not secure a win from the competitive Lamar. The Panthers saw a solid performance starting in the first set with a disappointing 25-15 loss but swiftly captured a victory in the second set 25-21. However, the subsequent two sets were dominated by the Cardinals 26-24 and 25-19 respectively, sealing the win for Lamar. A significant moment in the game was the third set where Lamar managed six consecutive points, leading to a tight 26-24 score. This pivotal push eliminated the potential for a recovery from Prairie View.
Noteworthy performances included Kylee Owens and D'Mya Hill who led the team in kills. On the defensive end, Iyonna Sherwood, Aliyah Levert, and Hill excelled in blocks, showcasing their stalwart efforts in trying to fend off the Cardinals' offense. Additional contributions came from Janyah Henderson, Jacqueline Nino, and Leah Lawson, who skillfully managed digs and aces throughout the contest. Assists were capably handled by MaKinzie Taplin, Lawson, and Nino, vital in setting up play operations for the Panthers.
"We didn't play our best ball tonight," said head PVAMU Women's Volleyball coach Cheri Lindsay. "We need to stay disciplined and make changes faster based off the personnel on the other side of the net. We also need to be more gritty on defense."
Looking forward, Prairie View A&M aims to bounce back from their 2-9 record as they face Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz., on September 19, 2024. The Panthers are set to make adjustments and aim for a win against their upcoming opponent in the continuing season.
The non-conference loss moved Prairie View A&M to 2-9 on the season.
The Lady Panthers were led by a double-double from Owens, who registered 14 kills and 11 digs on the day. Hill also added nine kills to help the attack. On the defensive end, Nino chipped in with 15 digs to go with four blocks from Janyah Henderson.
Game Notes
» Prairie View A&M had three players in double figures in digs.
» Taplin had a team-high two aces in the loss.
» Owens registered a double-double with 14 kills and 11 digs
» Prairie View A&M never trailed on the way to winning the second set 25-21.
» Owens had a team-high 14 kills for Prairie View A&M.
» Prairie View A&M got a team-high 15 digs from Nino.
» Prairie View A&M attackers were helped by a team-high 21 assists from Lawson.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Lady Panthers found themselves in an early hole, dropping a tough first set 25-15. Prairie View A&M trailed by as many as 10 points as Lamar never gave up the lead in a set that was tied up zero times before the Cardinals took control.
SET 2 | Prairie View A&M rallied from a first-set loss to take the second set 25-21, tying the match at 1-1. The Lady Panthers took a 1-0 lead and never looked back in the set to secure the victory. Prairie View A&M opened up as much as a five-point lead at 15-10 before closing out the set.
SET 3 | Prairie View A&M fell in set three, putting the Lady Panthers in a 2-1 hole. The Lady Panthers couldn't hang on in a back-and-forth battle, losing 26-24 in a set that featured four lead changes and was tied seven times. Neither team had a lead of more than four points along the way.
SET 4 | Prairie View A&M then fell in the fourth set 25-19 to finish off the match. The Lady Panthers fell behind on the first point and never clawed back into the lead before falling in the set.
