LAKE CHARLES—Sitting in a two set deficit after falling 23-25 and 19-25 to New Orleans (10-10, 4-2 SLC) in the first two sets of Thursday's Southland Conference match, the brief intermission was all McNeese volleyball needed to reset itself to put together three solid sets on its way to a thrilling five set match victory to remain undefeated at home this season.
 
McNeese (4-15, 2-2 SLC) took the final three sets by the scores of 26-24, 25-19 and 15-13 to record a win in the only five set match of the season for the Cowgirls.
 
"What a great win tonight," said head coach Ashleigh Fitzgerald. "The first two sets were really disappointing. We weren't ready to go emotionally when the match started, but after the break, we became fearless, served a lot better, picked up some huge digs and played with some heart."
 
The Cowgirls recorded a season high 66 kills and for the first time this season, three Cowgirls recorded double figure kills. Katelyn Elliott tied her season high with 14 to lead McNeese while Keegan Nelms and Ebony Lewis picked up season high's with 13 apiece.
 
UNO's senior Kaitlyn Grice entered the match rank fourth in the nation in blocks but it was McNeese freshman Paige Havel who enjoyed the block party. Havel ended the match with a career high 10, six of which were solos while McNeese out blocked the Privateers 10-8. Grice was credited with four blocks and led UNO with 17 kills.  
 
In the pivotal third set that included 15 ties and six lead changes, McNeese erased a four-point UNO lead (19-15) and eventually tied the set at 21 all on an Elliott kill. Both teams continued to trade points and with the scored tied at 24, Havel came up with two of the most crucial blocks of the match to seal the set, 26-24.
 
McNeese evened the match at two sets apiece with the 25-19 fourth set victory, sending the match into a fifth and deciding set.
 
In the fifth set, McNeese jumped out to a 6-1 lead on kills by Allison Lippert and an Alexandra Aguilera service ace.
 
UNO would cut into the lead and got as close as one point (10-9) but McNeese scored three straight points to extend its lead to 13-9.
 
With McNeese holding a 14-11 lead, UNO used two McNeese errors to pull to within 14-13 but on the next play, Lewis wouldn't be denied when her pass from Caitlin Sharrock went down and couldn't be returned, giving McNeese the 15-13 fifth set win and the overall match win.
 
"Hats off to our crowd tonight," Fitzgerald said. "Noone left after the first two sets and they believed in us the whole time."
 
Sharrock and Amari Franklin split time as setters with Sharrock dishing out 27 assists and Franklin picking up 26. Angela McGownd led McNeese with 10 digs and Haley Schneider picked up four points behind career high four service aces.
 
McNeese will remain home and will host Nicholls at 11 a.m. Saturday.