THE HILL | Saldy Amparo-Smith and Fatima Ramirez paced the Bulldogs with 17 and 14 terminations respectively, as the Bulldogs defeated Southern University 3-2 on Senior Day in T.M. Elmore Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon. AAMU finishes the regular season 8-20 and 6-10 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) 

Ramirez led the team in digs with 15, followed by Kennedy Robinson's 11. Grace Tapscott tallied 29 assists on the afternoon.  

Southern was led by Tamara Chavez's 14 kills and 11 digs. Marian Attaway tallied 18 digs, followed by 16 from Najah Harris. Jordan Felix recorded 42 assists.  
 

Set One 

Duckett opened the match a cross-court kill, and the Bulldogs used the momentum to go on a 4-0 run to take an early lead at 6-2. The lead remained at four until a trio of AAMU errors put the Jags within one to prompt a Bulldog stoppage. The Maroon and white were the first to 20 points after a kill a piece from Amparo-Smith and Ramirez. The Bulldogs earned three straight points to claim the set, 25-19. 

Set Two 

The Jaguars opened the second set with high intensity, going on a 4-0 run to force an AAMU timeout. SU came out of the break and went on a 6-2 run to balloon their lead to 8-2. AAMU attempted to lessen the gap, but a 5-0 from the Jags put them ahead nine points, and Southern eventually claimed the frame 25-11 

Set Three
Southern used the momentum they had in the second stanza to go on a 3-0 run. The Bulldogs fought back, earning four straight points, including a pair of kills from Duckett and Amparo-Smith, and a monster block from Spalding and Duckett to take the 4-3 lead. The Jags went up by three once more, but AAMU never got comfortable and regained the slim lead after a kill from Ramirez and block from Spalding AT 11-10. The match remained close, and the Bulldogs called a stoppage down one point at 19-18. The score tied three more times, but the Jaguars were the first to set point and match point, claiming the stanza 25-22.  

Set Four
Nissan Martinez sent one an empty back court to open the frame for the Bulldogs and repeated the play shortly after to take the 3-2 lead. The Bulldogs held a two-point lead but Southern managed to tie the score three times before taking a two-point lead of their own at 12-10. Alabama A&M could not be held for long, as they went on a 5-0 run to take the lead 21-16. Southern returned the pressure with three unanswered points to prompt a Bulldog stoppage. A pair of Maroon and White terminations solidified the frame, 25-23 and forced the match into a fifth frame.  

Set Five
The Maroon and White took an early 5-2 lead and were the first team to eight before the teams switched sides. A block from Tolbert into the bodies of the Southern front row blockers expanded the Bulldog lead, and a monster cross-court termination from Ramirez extended the Bulldog lead to 11-6. Southern was not ready to concede and scored three answered points to lessen the lead to two at 11-9. A kill a piece from Amparo-Smith and Ramirez took AAMU to set point, and a termination from Martinez confirmed the match, 15-12. 


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