The Southern University volleyball team has played three games between November 1st and 3rd, and lost all but one. Now they only have one game left until the Volleyball Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships.
“They have broken down mentally. This is the same team that has done all the winning before, so there are some in-house problems and it is hurting us,” said Volleyball head coach Nathaniel Denu. “We are going to have to work hard because Friday is a SWAC game and we have to win to stay at number two in our division, and that would be better for us going into the tournament.”
On November 1, the Lady Jaguars traveled to Pine-Bluff, Ark. and beat the UAPB in five matches. Southern lost the first match 25-30, won the second 30-21, lost the third 28-30, won the fourth and fifth match 30-7 and 15-14. The Jags out-played UAPB 66 kills to 41. Mayumi Takeuchi led the team in kills and defense digs with 16 kills and digs.
“We didn’t play bad. We needed to block more and rather then watching the ball, we needed to shift and adjust and move instead of hesitating, ” said junior LaShawntel Garder.
The team played their next game in Itta Bena, Miss. on the next day to lose in five games to the MSVU. The Lady Jags played hard but could not pull out a win against the Delta Devils. Southern started the game off winning the first match 30-24, losing the second 23-30, losing the third 38-40, winning the fourth 30-21, and losing the fifth 12-15. All five matches were very close, however when it came down to the kills, MVSU beat them 83-64. Defensively, Southern out numbered MSVU, in defensives digs 85-84. They played hard, but not hard enough to come out with a win.
On November 5th, in the game against Tulane, Southern just did not show up losing the first game 30-14, the second 30-11 and the third 30-17. Tulane totaled 52 kills and 40 defensive digs to Southern’s 18 kills and 31 digs. This leaves Southern (18-13) overall and 5-2 in the SWAC.
The team will play their last home and conference game tonight against Prairie View A&M. Also the team will have their annual Senior Night, which celebrates the team’s graduating players.
