NEW ORLEANS--  McNeese volleyball fell 3-1 (23-25, 21-25, 25-21, 16-25) to New Orleans Friday afternoon in a Southland Conference match, dropping the Cowgirls to 10-16 on the season and 5-6 in conference play. UNO improved to 14-14 overall and 3-7 in the SLC. McNeese will travel to Southeastern Louisiana Saturday for a 2 p.m. match.
 
Malina Sanchez led the Cowgirls with 13 kills and added 11 digs for her 13^th double-double of the season. Kelly Graham also picked up a double-double (40 assists, 11 digs), here 14^th of the season. Freshman Shanna Spree recorded a career high 11 kills and junior Bridget Justis led McNeese with 15 digs.
 
McNeese trailed early in the first set but came back to tie it up at 20 on a Sanchez kill. After a UNO point, a kill bye Rae Myers tied the set at 21 then a UNO service error gave McNeese their first lead at 22-21. The lead didn't stand as the Privateers would go on to score five of the last six points of the set to take the 25-23 win.
 
UNO took a 2-0 match lead with a 25-21 second set win.  Trailing 18-11, McNeese made a push to cut the UNO lead to 21-16. The Cowgirls couldn't hold off UNO as they went on to win the set.
 
McNeese avoided the sweep with a 25-21 third set win. UNO scored the first three points to take a 3-0 lead then extended the lead to 8-3. The Cowgirls would tie the set at nine apiece on a kill by Sanchez and a service ace by Graham. After six more ties, McNeese took the lead for good on another Sanchez kill to give the Cowgirls a 20-19 lead and.  Back-to-back kills by Monica Hudgins extended the Cowgirl lead to 22-19. McNeese would go on to score three of the last five points to take the win.
 
After McNeese took the lead on the first point of the fourth set, UNO took the lead a 2-1 and never looked back as the Privateers went on to win the fourth set 25-16 and the overall match.