CONWAY, Ark.—The careers of McNeese seniors Malina Sanchez, Kelly Graham and Amber Fryer came to an end Saturday at the Southland Conference Volleyball Tournament with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-18) loss to top seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. McNeese ends the season with a 15-18 record.
 
"I was really proud of our team," said head coach Ashleigh Fitzgerald. "For not being really experienced in the tournament and playing a team that has won a lot of games this year and a lot of tournament games in the last couple of years. I thought we competed really well. If you were here watching, the rallies showed that the match was tighter than the points reflected. I thought we transitioned really well and did a lot of things well. I'm happy for our program. This was a great accomplishment, just to make it to the semifinal match. I just couldn't be happier." Fitzgerald said.
 
Sanchez led McNeese with eight kills and picked up 11 digs while Ebony Lewis was credited with six. Fryer ended her career with five on the day. Graham dished out 25 assists in her last match in a Cowgirl uniform. Junior libero Bridget Justis led McNeese with 19 digs.
 
The Cowgirls opened the match with an 11-8 lead off a kill by Sanchez and a block by Rae Myers. The set remained close until the Islanders took a 17-16 lead. McNeese fought back to tie the set at 19 apiece on two kills by Graham and one by Fryer.
The Islanders continued their success into the next set as they gained an early lead. Sophomore middle blocker Brittany Gilpin contributed to the Islanders lead in multiple facets earning three kills, three digs, and a block assist. The Cowgirls were unable to make a dent in the Islanders lead, playing from behind the entire set. The Islanders eventually took the set 25-19.
The third set played much like the first. The Cowgirls fared well defensively but several offensive miscues and a .103 hitting percentage hurt them in the end. Graham's eight assists paired with Sanchez's three kills were able to keep the match close for most of the set. With an 18-16 lead, the Islanders went on a 7-2 run to put the set and the match away.