PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – The Southern University volleyball team battled toe-to-toe with one of the Southwestern Athletic Conference's top programs but came up short in three tightly contested sets against Prairie View A&M, falling 29–27, 25–23, 25–22 on Sunday afternoon inside the Baby Dome.
 
The Jaguars (11–14, 6–5) pushed the first-place Panthers (14–11, 11–1) in every frame, showing grit and resilience in a match that featured 29 ties and 14 lead changes. Despite the straight-set final, Southern's performance reflected its growth and competitiveness as the regular season nears its end.
 
Junior outside hitter Ariana Brown continued her strong run of form, leading all players with 19 kills while adding 11 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. Brown was particularly effective in key moments, providing clutch swings that helped Southern stay within striking distance in each set.
 
Fellow standout Bailee St. Romain delivered another impressive performance on the opposite side, tallying 16 kills while hitting .294. Her efficiency helped balance the Jaguars' offense against Prairie View's front-line pressure.
 
Setter Jordan Felix directed the attack with 39 assists, helping Southern hit .205 as a team, while also contributing two kills and a dig. Zaria Nelson added four kills and a block assist, and Sophie Diouf provided four kills, a service ace, and a block assist to round out the balanced effort.
 
Defensively, Najah Harris anchored the back row with 11 digs and a pair of service aces, while Elise Doomes added nine digs and a block assist. Southern finished with 47 team digs and three total blocks on the day.
 
The opening set set the tone for a competitive afternoon, as Southern traded points with Prairie View in a back-and-forth battle that saw eight lead changes and 14 ties. The Jaguars had set point opportunities at 26–25 and 27–26 before the Panthers closed with three straight points to take it, 29–27.
 
In the second set, the Jaguars again stayed within reach, erasing a mid-set deficit to tie things at 23–23 before Prairie View scored the final two points to go up 2–0. The third frame saw more of the same, as Southern trailed 23–21 following a late surge from Brown and St. Romain, but the Panthers capitalized on two late kills to seal the match.
 
Prairie View was led by D'Mya Hill with 14 kills and Kylee Owens with 13. The Panthers hit .297 overall, including a .429 clip from Owens, and posted eight team blocks to maintain their position atop the SWAC standings.
 
UP NEXT
Southern will look to rebound quickly as the Jaguars continue their Texas road swing on Monday, November 3, at Texas Southern in Houston.

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