LAKE CHARLES-  McNeese volleyball moved one step closer to clinching a Southland Conference Tournament spot with a straight set 3-0- (25-16, 25-16, 29-27) win over New Orleans Thursday night to improve to 17-11 overall and 8-5 in league play. With the loss, UNO fell to 10-15 overall and 4-9 in the SLC. McNeese will host Southeastern La. at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in its home finale. Seniors Adison Giambrone, Rae Myers and Jenny D'Alessandro will be honored following the match.
 
Sophomore Shanna Spree led the Cowgirls with 11 kills and recorded a season high .733 hitting percent on 15 attempts without an error. Keegan Nelms added nine kills while D'Alessandro and Katelyn Elliott both had six apiece. D'Alessandro and Ebony Lewis were credited with six block assists apiece as McNeese picked up 10 team blocks. Senior Adison Giambrone and freshman Caitlin Sharrock both dished out double figure assists with 20 and 11, respectively. Libero Angela McGownd led with 13 digs.
 
McNeese's offense was clicking tonight as the Cowgirls produced a .371 hitting percent in the first set and a .526 hitting percent in the second set. McNeese committed only one hitting error in each of the first two sets and led throughout both matches.
 
After intermission, the third set was tight until the end and the Cowgirls had to come from behind to pick up the third set victory.
 
With the lead switching hands early in the match, UNO took a 15-10 lead but three kills by Nelms and a UNO service error brought McNeese within one (15-14). The Cowgirls would retake the lead 20-19 on a block assists by D'Alessandro and Lewis but UNO responded by scoring three straight points for a 22-20 lead. A UNO error and service ace by Giambrone tied it a 22 and there would be five more ties before McNeese took a 28-27 lead on a UNO service error before Spree's 11^th kill of the match gave McNeese the 29-27 third set win and the match victory.