HOUSTON, Texas | Alabama State ran its win streak to five with a hard-fought 3-2 (25-21, 24-26, 23-25, 25-23, 15-9) Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) victory over Prairie View A&M at the H&PER Arena on Sunday night.
 
Jylen Whitten recorded a double-double to lead the Lady Hornets with 22 kills and 16 digs, while Jada Rhodes added 22 kills in the win. Madison Beasley recorded a career-high 50 assists and Temperance Chatman led the team with 29 digs. Meanwhile, Taila Gaines added seven kills, six blocks, and six service aces in the win.
 
Alabama State (6-12, 5-0 SWAC) came from behind to capture the match after dropping sets two and three to fall behind 2-1 in the overall match. The Lady Hornets were able to capture the fourth set, before pulling ahead early in the fifth set and holding on for the victory. The five-set win by the Lady Hornets is the second this season and the 30th under head coach Penny Lucas-White since she took over the program. It is the first five-set match since a victory over Norfolk State on September 8, 2023 at a neutral site (UNC-Wilmington).
 
How It Happened
SET 1 | The two teams traded the first 10 points of the opening set before Alabama State went on a 6-1 run to open an 11-6 lead highlighted by three services (two by Gaines) and a pair of kills from Whitten. A pair of 3-0 runs by each team put the score at 14-9 before the Panthers went on a 3-1 run to pull to within 15-12. The Lady Hornets went on a 6-1 run to push the lead 21-13 using a pair of kills from Rhodes and a service ace by Emily Brooks. After an 8-1 run by Prairie View A&M cut the lead to 22-21, the Lady Hornets were able to close out the set with a 3-0 run and ended the set on a Whitten kill.
 
SET 2 | Alabama State opened the set with a 7-3 run before the Panthers battled back to tie the set at 14-all. Prairie View A&M used a 4-2 run to take an 18-16 lead before Alabama State was able to tie the set with back-to-back points. The two teams were tied at 22-all before Alabama State used a kill by Gaines and another from Whitten to take a 24-22 lead. However, Prairie View A&M closed the set out facing a pair of set points with a 4-0 run to tie the match.
 
SET 3 | The two teams traded the first 16 points of the set before Prairie View A&M was able to take a 13-10 lead. Alabama State battled back to tie the match at 17-all using a kill from Rhodes during the run. The Lady Hornets took a 23-21 lead before Prairie View A&M closed out the set on a 4-0 run to take an overall 2-1 lead in the match.
 
SET 4 | Alabama State was the first to 10 in the set as it took a 10-7 lead over the Panthers. They were able to push the lead to 13-8 with a 3-0 run highlighted by kills from Whitten and A'Nylah Cobb before they pushed it to 16-10 on a pair of kills from Gaines. The Panthers fought back with a 6-1 run to cut the deficit to 17-16 before Alabama State grabbed a 19-16 lead with a pair of kills by Rhodes. A 3-0 Lady Hornets' run pushed the lead to 23-18 before a 5-1 Prairie View A&M run trimmed the lead to 24-23. Whitten put the set away and forced a fifth set with another kill.
 
SET 5 | In the deciding set, Alabama State jumped out to a 5-1 lead with a pair of kills by Cobb and a service ace from Gaines. They extended the lead to 8-2 before the Panthers closed to within 10-7. However, Alabama State went on a 4-0 run using a pair of blocks from Cobb and Gaines, and a kill from Whitten to take a 14-7 lead and get match point. After the Panthers closed to 14-9, Cobb put the match away on a pass from Beasley.
 
Up Next
Alabama State closes out play in the SWAC Cluster in Houston on Monday morning, facing Southern at 9 a.m. at the H&PER Arena on the Texas Southern campus.

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