STEPHENVILLE, TX -- The Prairie View A&M Panthers women's volleyball team, faced off against the New Mexico Lobos in an NCAA volleyball event on September 6, 2025, at Wisdom Volleyball Gym in Stephenville, TX. Despite a strong effort, the Panthers fell to the Lobos with a final score of New Mexico 3, Prairie View 1.
The non-conference loss moved Prairie View A&M to 2-5 on the season.
The Lady Panthers were led by a double-double from Kylee Owens, who registered 12 kills and 14 digs on the day. D'Mya Hill also added nine kills to help the attack. On the defensive end, Leila Smalls chipped in for with 21 digs to go with seven blocks from Valencia Wilder.
Game Notes
» Prairie View A&M had three players in double figures in digs.
» Camille Middleton had a team-high one ace in the loss.
» Kylee Owens registered a double-double with 12 kills and 14 digs
» Kylee Owens had a team-high 12 kills for Prairie View A&M.
» Prairie View A&M got a match-high 21 digs from Leila Smalls.
» Prairie View A&M attackers were helped by a team-high 19 assists from Makinzie Taplin.
How It Happened
The match opened with New Mexico establishing an early lead, winning the first set 25-11. However, the Panthers rallied impressively in the second set, overcoming the Lobos with a tight score of 27-25. This victory momentarily shifted the momentum, showing the resilience of the Prairie View team. Unfortunately, New Mexico regained control in the subsequent sets, securing wins of 25-13 and 25-15 in the third and fourth sets, respectively.
Key performances from Prairie View players included Kylee Owens leading with 12 kills, followed by D'Mya Hill with 9, and Iyonna Sherwood adding 6. On the defensive end, Valencia Wilder made a significant impact with 7 blocks, supported by Terasita Caldwell and Jade Coates. The defense was further aided by notable digs from Leila Smalls, who made an impressive 21 digs, and both Kylee Owens and MaKinzie Taplin each contributing 14. Contributions on serving included aces from Camille Middleton and Leila Smalls.
SET 1 | The Lady Panthers found themselves in an early hole, losing a tough first set 25-11. Prairie View A&M trailed by as many as 14 points as New Mexico never surrendered the lead in a set that was tied up zero times before the Lobos took control.
SET 2 | Prairie View A&M responded to pick up a 27-25 victory in set two, evening the match at one set apiece. The Lady Panthers earned the set victory with the help of a solid showing on the attacking end. Prairie View A&M registered a .333 attack percentage with 17 kills in the set win. The Lady Panthers rallied from down five at 13-8 to claim the win. Prairie View A&M's front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking seven New Mexico attacks in the stanza.
SET 3 | New Mexico responded to win set number three, putting Prairie View A&M in a two sets to one hole. The Lady Panthers dropped the first point and fought from behind the rest of the way before losing the set 25-13.
SET 4 | Prairie View A&M then fell in the fourth set 25-15 to finish off the match. The Lady Panthers fell behind on the first point and never took the lead before losing the set.
Looking ahead, the Panthers' schedule continues as they prepare to participate in the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Tournament, set for September 12-14, 2025, in Corpus Christi, Texas. The Panthers will seek to improve their current season record of 2-5 as they face multiple opponents in the upcoming tournament.
