Itta Bena, Miss. –  No. 5 Alabama State dominated No. 2 Prairie View A&M, 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-20) to win its fourth consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference Volleyball Championship on Sunday evening.
 
The Lady Hornets (17-21) hit .268 with 48 kills while also locking up on defense with 61 digs and eight team blocks, holding the Panthers (16-22) to a .088 hitting percentage to earn the victory.
 
SWAC Tournament Most Valuable Player and All-Tournament selection Bayle' Bennett led the way with her 17th double double of the season with a match-high 16 kills (.256) and 11 digs while also adding on two assists and a block.
 
Junior Taira Cottingham added nine kills (.333) while senior Krysta Medearis, All-Tournament selection, and junior E'laisah Young recorded eight kills apiece. Young posted a career- and match-high three service aces with an errorless .444 hitting percentage.
 
Junior McKenzie Boland dropped a match-high 42 assists with a career-high tying three kills, and five digs. Freshman Emersen Belles paced the defense with a match-high 23 digs.
 
Set One (Alabama State 23, Prairie View A&M 15)
Overcoming a slow start, Alabama State dominated the second half of the set as the Lady Hornets hit a blistering .371 with 16 kills and only three errors. The defense only allowed nine PVAMU kills and held the Panthers to a .135 hitting clip. Belles recorded 10 digs and Bennett dropped seven kills with a .545 percentage in the set.
 
Set Two (Alabama State 25, Prairie View A&M 20)
Once again, Alabama State had all the offensive momentum as it hit .300 with 18 kills. Prairie View was able to grab 10 kills, two blocks and a service ace to keep close but the Lady Hornets recorded three crucial blocks to take the second set. Young posted five kills with a block as the middle in the second.
 
Set Three (Alabama State 25, Prairie View A&M 20)
Alabama State struggled offensively in the final stanza, posting 14 kills with a .167 clip but the defense stepped up tremendously holding the Panthers to a .018 percentage with 11 errors. Additionally, the Lady Hornets secured 25 digs and three team blocks to take the final set and earn their fourth consecutive championship.
 
Up Next
Alabama State awaits the NCAA DI Women's Volleyball Tournament selection show on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU to see who it will take on in the first round.
 
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