Mississippi Valley State University volleyball team opened Southwestern Athletic Conference play Friday night at the R.W. Harrison HPER Complex, losing to Texas Southern in three sets. The Tigers secured the win with scores of 25-15, 25-16, 25-19.
The Delta Devils showed their best effort in the third set, producing eight kills and hitting .241. They also mounted a late rally, trimming the Texas Southern lead before falling short. MVSU finished the match with 20 kills, 19 digs, three service aces, and seven team blocks.
Senior hitters Aniyah Moore and Taylor Wooten led the attack, each with six kills. Moore also contributed five block assists, three digs, and a service ace, while Wooten hit a team-best .278 with 10 attack attempts, along with eight digs and two blocks. At the net, Moore was involved in five blocks, and Wooten, Hannah St. Croix, and Brooklyn Brunt added to MVSU’s seven total blocks.
The Delta Devils started strong in the first set, with Brooklyn Brunt recording the first kill of the match. Moore and Wooten helped keep MVSU competitive early on. However, Texas Southern gained separation midway through and won the set 25-15. In the second set, Wooten opened with a kill as MVSU surged to a 6-0 lead but eventually lost 25-16 after the Tigers responded and took control late.
In the third set, MVSU fell behind early but rallied behind its blocking and defense. Moore, Walker, St. Croix, and Wooten combined for several key blocks as the Delta Devils narrowed the gap to 16-15. Wooten’s three kills late in the set brought Valley State within 22-19, but Texas Southern closed out the match.
Texas Southern finished with 49 kills and a .378 hitting percentage. MVSU, despite the loss, led in blocks with a 7-0 advantage. The result moved Mississippi Valley State to 1-9 overall and 0-1 in SWAC play. The Delta Devils will host Prairie View A&M on Sunday at the Harrison HPER Complex in their next conference match.
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