PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – The Alcorn State University volleyball program opened up SWAC action with a pair of defeats on Friday, dropping matches to Southern and Prairie View A&M in straight sets.

The Lady Braves (2-9, 0-2 SWAC) saw sophomore Sydney Joseph (18 kills), senior Singryd Valadares (14 kills) and freshman Jéda Curry (11 kills) all pass the double-digit kill threshold.

Junior Jasmine Chambers averaged a healthy 5.2 assists per set and junior Fiapaipai Iosia totaled 18 digs for a 3.0 average.
 

Southern | L, 0-3 (7-25, 21-25, 20-25)

The Jaguars pounced quickly on the Lady Braves from the opening serve, scoring the first seven points of the match before the purple and gold could crack the scoreboard. SUBR continued its torrid start as its lead grew to as high as 18 as it enjoyed a 25-7 opening set romp (7-25).

The second set saw the light blue and gold continue to make a statement in the SWAC opener for both sides, as SU scored eight of the first 11 points. Alcorn woke up to rally back within one with a 6-2 run to make the score 10-9 Jags. Southern took back momentum from the Lady Braves with a 7-3 rally to extend its cushion to nine (19-12). Coach Robinson's crew narrowed the gap to three (24-21) but ultimately fell short to lose the second set (21-25).

Alcorn opened the third set with a service ace by Iosia to earn its first lead of the match. After Southern knotted the score at three, the Jags took six of the next seven points to swing the pendulum towards the girls from Baton Rouge (9-4). Both sides kept each other relatively close over the next 14 points as the Lady Braves took eight compared to the Jaguars' six (15-12). SUBR put the game essentially out of reach by rattling off four consecutive points and managed to hang on for the sweep (20-25).

Joseph was the team's top attacker with nine kills and a pair of service aces, Chambers averaged 6.0 assists per set (18 total) and Iosia led the Lady Braves in digs with seven.

Senior Melinda Perrilloux recorded her first point of the 2019 season with an ace while Valadares notched season-highs in kills (7) and digs (3) in her sixth active match of the campaign.
 

Prairie View A&M | L, 0-3 (11-25, 15-25, 16-25)

Alcorn and Prairie View were dead even through eight points as both sides had put four on the board. The hosting Panthers would then light the court on fire with an 11-1 outburst to take a commanding 15-5 lead. PVAMU was able to come away with a fairly comfortable first set win (11-25).

The Panthers kept their foot in the gas to start the second frame, rushing out to an 11-3 advantage. Alcorn was unable to slow the Prairie View roll as the home team put together a second straight set victory (15-25).

Alcorn kept Prairie View A&M within striking distance 16 points into the third set as the Lady Braves only trailed by two (9-7). The two teams would then trade blows as each club scored seven point over the following 14 points (16-14). PVAMU would put the clamps on the visitors from Lorman from that point forward, ending the match on a 9-2 roll to conclude the proceedings in three sets (16-25).

Joseph led the Lady Braves in kills once again (9) with Curry logging nine as well. Chambers was the club's top setter for the second consecutive match with 13 assists while senior Barbara Grubisic Cabo logged double-digit assists as well at 11.

Fiapaipai Iosia continued to be a strong defensive force as she topped the squad with 11 digs, her seventh outing of ten digs or more. With Alcorn's lone service ace on the night, Iosia tied Crystal Morris for seventh on the program's all-time career service aces list with 113 so far through 83 matches as a Lady Brave.

Alcorn will continue the SWAC Round-Up with two more matches tomorrow when it takes on Texas Southern at 12:30 p.m. and Grambling State at 3 p.m. inside the William Nicks Building.

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