The Panther

Issue date: 11/8/06 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Evan White Teamwork: The volleyball squad's teamwork ethic has propelled them to the number one ranking in assists in the SWAC conference. The Lady Panthers also rank first in hitting percentage and kills.

Prairie View will host the 2006 SWAC women's volleyball tournament in the William "Billy" J. Nicks Field House (Baby Dome). The Prairie View Lady Panthers will be the second seed from the SWAC West and will begin their quest for the SWAC tournament championship with a match against Jackson State University at 9 a.m. Friday.

"I feel [the tournament] is up in the air, but my girls have worked hard this year and I feel they have the potential to win it. We need to be cautious with all teams, not just any one team. They have all been aggressive," said Panthers head coach Alicia Pete. "I think the team was awakened by the game against Texas Southern and they will be ready. They're hungry."

Grambling State and Alabama A&M are the number one seeds, with both having finished 7-1 in the SWAC-West and East respectively. Not far behind, Mississippi Valley State and Prairie View both finished 6-2 in the SWAC. Meanwhile, third place finishers Texas Southern and Jackson State lurk as possible threats to win.

A good sign is that it seems practices have gone well leading up to the tournament. "Practice has gone well. We've worked on passing, serving and practiced high pressure situations," said Pete. Some key contributions may very well come from one of the team's seniors, Alexandria Neuls. When asked about what she needed to do for the team to be successful, Neuls responded by saying she needs to be a leader, be consistent and be positive.

Another key contributor may be TaCho Richard. As of Oct. 29, Richard was ranked at twelfth in the nation in service aces at 0.64 per game. On the same date, Prairie View was ranked third in the nation in aces per game at 2.45 per game. "I have to play the way I've played all year and execute my role in order for the team to be successful," said Richard. "I've spent the season preparing myself mentally for the SWAC Tournament."

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