STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Tarleton State falls 3-2 (25-22, 18-25, 25-17, 23-25, 10-15) after a hard fought five-set match up against Prairie View A&M.
Madison Rice-Lockett led the team in the offensive attack with 17 kills, also tallying 16 digs for the Texan defense. LaNeah Lara also totaled nine kills. Morgan Carter had 20 digs and eight assists for the Texans.
Megan Hodges set up the Texans offense well, notching 21 assists and Teya Nguyen followed up with 17 assists.
The Texans opened set one trading the first seven points in the match with Panthers. Emma Burke and Rice-Lockett set up the attack for the Texans early with vital kills that assisted the Texans win the first set. A service ace from Hodges helped create a gap with kills from Taylynn Biggs and Lara, giving the Texans momentum to pull ahead. As the Panthers began to regain their rhythm, kills from Madison Frank and Rice-Lockett sealed the first set, 25-22.
Tarleton State battled early in the frame, trading points behind kills from Frank, Biggs, and Rice-Locket. The Texans built momentum with a pair of blocks from Biggs and Emma Burke, but Prairie View responded with a strong service run to swing control back their way. Despite late kills from Burke, Leila Paraoan, and Frank to keep the Texans within reach, Tarleton State couldn't overcome a string of errors and fell 25-18 in the second set.
The Purple and White exchanged points early in the opening of the third set until a six-point run helped shift the momentum in their favor. A service ace from Hodges fueled the attack allowing Breannah Peterson, Rice-Lockett, and Frank to register consecutive kills and extend the lead. Another service ace from Rice-Lockett put the Texans within one point of taking the match and was solidified with a kill from Lara.
Tarleton State came out in the fourth frame with early kills from Burke and Peterson, along with a service ace from Hodges to keep the score tight. Rice-Locket and Frank added steady swings, while Nguyen sparked the Texans with an ace to bring the set within one point. Tarleton State battled back late behind kills from Peterson and Frank, and a service ace from Lara trimmed the deficit to one at 23-22. Despite the late push, the Texans couldn't complete the comeback, falling 25-23 to Prairie View in set four.
In the fifth and final set, Tarleton State initially took the lead against Prairie View, but Prairie View quickly took control of the set. Kill by a kill from Lara helped keep the Texans competitive. The teams traded points until Prairie View went on a scoring run, extending their lead to 5-2 with kills from the Panthers. Tarleton State made a comeback, with Rice-Locket and Biggs each getting a kill, bringing the score to 5-4. However, Prairie View maintained their momentum, scoring points from Tarleton errors. A service ace by Tarleton States Carter prompted a Prairie View timeout. Following the timeout, Prairie View extended their lead. Despite a kill from Lara for Tarleton State, Prairie View reached match point at 14-10. A final block assist by the Panthers ended the set and secured the match victory for Prairie View.
The Texans will return to Wisdom Gym for their final match of the Tarleton State Invitational on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
