THIBODAUX—For the second straight match, the McNeese volleyball team wasted little time in picking up another straight set win, this time it was against Nicholls Nicholls (25-18 25-16, 25-21) to improve to 8-13 overall and 4-3 in the SLC. McNeese will host Louisiana-Lafayette on Tuesday, Oct. 20 in the first of three home matches for the Cowgirls next week.
Senior outside hitter
Malina Sanchez once again led McNeese in kills with 13. Sanchez also ended the match with 11 digs. Senior setter
Kelly Graham dished out 27 assist along with 11 digs and ended the match with a .462 hitting percent. The Cowgirls had five players with double figure digs and was led by
Bridget Justis' 20.
Hailee Showers and
Adison Giambrone both ended the match with 12 apiece.
Rae Myers led the Cowgirl blocking with five.
Nicholls opened the match by taking an early lead before McNeese's Sanchez kill gave the Cowgirls a 7-6 lead and one they would hold for the rest of the set. A kill by Showers extended the Cowgirl lead to 10-7. McNeese closed out the first set on kills by Myers and
Monica Hudgins to take a 1-0 lead.
McNeese took advantage of a Nicholls error to begin the second set and never looked back as the Cowgirls cruised to a 25-16 second set win to take an overall 2-0 lead.
The Cowgirls came out of the break to open the third straight by winning the first six seven points to take a 6-1 lead. McNeese extended its lead to 10-5 on a Nicholls setting error. With the Cowgirls leading 13-8 following a block assists by Hudgins and Myers, Nicholls would score the next three points to cut the McNeese lead to 13-11. A Nicholls service error and a kill by Sanchez would give the Cowgirls a little breathing room with a 15-11 lead. But the Colonels wouldn't give up as they would scored the next two points to bring them within two again at 15-13.
After McNeese called a timeout leading 19-16, the Cowgirls' offense got kills from Sanchez, Graham and
Ebony Lewis to up its lead to 22-18. The Cowgirls used another kill by Sanchez and two Nicholls errors to score the final three points of the set to take the victory.
