LAKE CHARLES—The McNeese volleyball team moved one step closer to clinching a Southland Conference Tournament berth Saturday with a thrilling 3-2 (25-18, 25-21, 24-26, 19-25, 16-14) win over Incarnate Word.
 
Season high kills by seniors Malina Sanchez and Amber Fryer, and junior Rebecca Koreneck paced the Cowgirls on offense. Sanchez led all players with a match high 24. Fryer and Koreneck were credited with 15. Senior setter Kelly Graham dished out 49 assists, one shy of recording 50 for the third time this season. Junior libero Bridget Justis picked up a match high 23 assist, her 12^th match of the season with 20 or more assists.
 
McNeese (12-17, 7-7 SLC) cruised to a 2-0 lead by winning the first two sets. A kill by Fryer started things off for the Cowgirls who kept their foot on the pedal and went on to win the set off a kill by Korenek.
 
A kill by Fryer in the second set once again got the Cowgirls going. Behind Sanchez's serve, the Cowgirls extended their lead to 4-2 but Incarnate Word would come back to cut the McNeese lead to 15-14. A kill by Korenek gave McNeese a 16-14 lead before the Cowgirls would outscore the Cardinals 9-6 the rest of the way.
 
Following the break, Incarnate Word took the early 10-7 lead in set three before the Cowgirls resorted to Sanchez who would put down three straight kills and assist on a block with Fryer to give McNeese a 12-10 lead. The lead would hold as UIW would come back to take an 18-14 lead. After another kill by Korenek, Adison Giambrone served out for four straight points to tie the set at 18 apiece. The set would consist of six more ties before UIW's Madison Williams would give the Cardinals a 25-24 lead. A service ace by Taylor McClelland was the deciding point of the set.
 
The Cardinals carried their momentum into the fourth set and took the lead from the opening serve to pick up a 25-19 win to even the match at two sets apiece.
 
The fifth set was a nail biting set that could have gone either way but the Cowgirls prevailed to preserve the win.
 
For the third time in the match, McNeese scored the first point on a Sanchez kill. UIW would outscore the Cowgirls 6-2 to take a 6-3 lead. Back-to-back kills by Sanchez, a UIW error and a service ace by Hailee Showers gave McNeese a 7-6 lead. McNeese would regain the lead (10-9) on a Graham kill before a Fryer kill gave McNeese an 11-9 lead. From this point on, McNeese would not let go of the lead. Another Fryer kill gave the Cowgirls a 13-10 lead and again at 14-11. UIW would come back to tie the set at 14 all but a UIW service error would once again give the Cowgirls the lead at 15-14. A huge block assist by Lewis and Shanna Spree on an attempt by UIW's Angelique Vidaurri gave the Cowgirls the fifth set win and the overall match victory.
 
McNeese will host New Orleans next Tuesday, November 10 at 7 p.m. in Memorial Gym.