WVB Tourney: Southern Sweeps Texas Southern, 3-0
SWAC.org
BATON ROUGE, La. – The Southern Jaguars defeated Texas Southern, 3-0, Saturday afternoon in the Cliford Seymour Gymnasium. The match scores include: 25-18, 25-22, 25-23.
Robyn Shannon led the match with 14 kills, while Phalen Clark contributed 24 assists. Ashle Markey sprung for 32 digs.
Southern earned the first point of the match on a kill, but was soon answered by a TSU attack. Emotions ran high after each rally as both teams took turns holding the lead. The Jaguars soon pulled ahead with a four-point lead, but was quickly answered by a Kali Fluke kill. Southern forced the match’s first timeout at a score of 13-9. Melodie Malone provided a service ace and four scores to keep the lead after the break, but a Jaguar error ended the cycle. Getting the ball, Southern produced an impressive lead, but the Tigers battled back. The Jaguars claimed the match, 25-18.
The second set began in favor of Texas Southern as the Tigers secured 2-0 lead. Southern re-grouped and followed suit with two scores. The battle went as both teams presented impressive rallies, scoring point-for-point. Neither team allowed much of a gap in scoring from there on as the game of bump, set, spike continued. A Jaguar three-point lead (10-7) forced a TSU timeout. Under the leadership of Sarah Wooton, the Tigers increased their board presence, only trailing by two points. The pursuit ended as Southern collected the set win.
Like the two sets before, both teams took turns scoring in the beginning of the third. A 7-3 score issued a timeout request from Texas Southern. Southern marched forward racking a lead of six. The Jaguars soon became distracted as they allowed the set to grow closer in score. Under server Shannon, the Tigers tied at 16. TSU landed the lead, 20-19, forcing another Southern timeout. The Jaguars were able to regroup and blink the match win.
Southern will play the winner of match eight tomorrow at 10 a.m., Texas Southern plays next against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Check the tournament central for more information on all the action.