The Lady Panthers volleyball team went to Edinburg, Texas, to compete in a three-team tournament with Texas Christian University and host UT- Pan American. On Sept. 5, the Lady Panthers played the Lady Broncos of UTPA and fell 3-0, 18-25, 10-25, and 22-25. Nicole Thompson led the Lady Panthers with 10 kills and a service ace and Shaun Williams contributed six kills of her own. On defense Michelle Paul led the team with 17 digs and Erin Fondel followed in second with six digs and led Prairie View with 11 assists. Thompson and Sarah Garcia contributed as well with five digs apiece.
Unfortunately, the Lady Panthers could not grab a set from the Lady Broncs although the third set was close. The following day, the Lady Panthers returned to action with matches against TCU and UTPA. The second match against the Lady Broncs yielded similar results as the Lady Panthers fell 11-25, 8-25, 18-25. Although the Lady Panthers showed a balanced attack in this match with four players tying for the most kills, they still came up short. Paul again led the team with 10 digs and Fondel contributed 18 assists with each of them accounting for a service ace.
In the later match against the Horned Frogs of TCU, the Lady Panthers fell again 14-25, 18-25, 19-25. Cheri Lindsey led the Lady Panthers with nine kills while Thompson added eight more. Paul led with seven digs and Fondel led the assist category with 18.
Although the Lady Panthers came up empty they still look forward to making themselves better. The Lady Panthers seek to build on the positives gained from the tournament and come back strong for the next couple of matches. The team hosts Huston-Tillotson Sept. 9 and Arkansas Pine Bluff on Sept. 15 to kick off SWAC competition where the Lady Panthers were picked to finish second in the Western Division. The Lady Panther Tournament will also be held at the Billy Nicks Fieldhouse on the Prairie View A&M University campus Sept. 12 and 13.