PVAMU Volleyball Kicks off 2018 Campaign at HBU Tournament

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – The Prairie View A&M University volleyball team opens the 2018 season this weekend with three matches at the Houston Baptist Tournament.

The Lady Panthers take on host team Houston Baptist Friday, at 12:30, then square off against UT Rio Grande Valley also on Friday for a 3:30 p.m. match up. They will finish the weekend against Louisiana Tech on Saturday at noon.

"I am so excited about starting the season," said head PVAMU volleyball coach TaCho Tyler. "We had a scrimmage on Monday and it was really good to see the girls play against someone else other than themselves. I can honestly say that in the majority of the scrimmage they were able to apply everything that we have been going over in camp and applied it into game like situations."

Houston Baptist recorded a 21-10 record in 2017 and finished tied for third in the Southland Conference with a 11-5 record. UTRGV finished last season with a 17-12 overall record and a second place finish in the Western Athletic Conference, while Louisiana Tech out of Conference-USA finished 2017 with a 7-21 mark.

"I am really excited to play against competition like Houston Baptist, UTRGV and La. Tech, which are good competitors that will get us ready for SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference)," Tyler said. "I'm real excited to see everything unfold and it's going to be a really exciting season."

PVAMU will look to rebound off a successful 2017 season that saw them finish with an 8-19 record, including a 7-11 mark and a seventh place finish in the SWAC. The team did however, make it to the semifinals,?falling to cross town rivals Texas Southern 3-1.

The task of climbing up the ranks of the SWAC will be a challenge as many teams will be in the running for the top spot in the conference. This season's preseason poll has placed the Lady Panthers fifth in the rankings. Despite the ranking, Tyler is confident the team will compete in every match.

"Our defense has been what it has always been," Tyler said. "Our setters are looking a lot better and we have a whole lot of hitters in the fold and I am really excited to see them hitting a lot of balls. We're hoping for some early success to build on."

With just two seniors on this year's squad, Tyler will look to them to provide some solid leadership for 14 newcomers. The group will be led by SWAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and All-SWAC First Teamer Christen Augustine.

"I feel that Christy who is a senior will definitely be the leader on the floor," Tyler said. "I call her the silent killer, because you know her presence on the floor even though she doesn't need to say very much. However, she takes such command in the back row, that everyone around her just wants to play better. The way she goes 100 percent makes the rest of the team do the same. I am excited to see us dig a lot of balls as well."

Junior college transfers Jaylan Thomas will play a vocal roll on the floor along with CeTara Carter, who gets the team super hyped when she's on the floor. Kaelyn Yeoman will be the player on the side line who has been the voice for the team.

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