SAN ANTONIO, Texas—McNeese volleyball missed several opportunities to close out the match in the fourth set and struggled serving in its 3-2 (25-23, 22-25, 25-22, 25-27, 6-15) Southland Conference regular season road match at Incarnate Word Saturday.
 
"This one was really disappointing," said head coach Ashleigh Fitzgerald. "Incarnate Word played with a lot of passion and really attacked our block and played fearlessly."
 
McNeese (8-21, 6-8 SLC) ended the match with 19 service errors and 25 hitting errors along with a .195 hitting percent.
 
The Cowgirls took the opening match for a 1-0 lead before Incarnate Word (8-16, 6-8 SLC) evened the match with the second set win. The Cowgirls picked up a third set 25-22 win to take a 2-1 lead into the break.
 
McNeese committed four service errors in the fourth set and the last time in the set gave UIW a 25-24 lead. A Cowgirls ace tied the set at 25 apiece before UIW retook the lead on a kill and evened the match at two sets apiece on a Cowgirl hitting error that gave the Cardinals the 27-25 fourth set win.
 
"I really thought we would find a way to close it out in set four, but even though we played really well, the ball just didn't bounce our way leading into the fifth set where we never really got going."
 
The Cowgirls never got going in the fifth set and trailed 4-0 to start the set. McNeese got on the board on a Kendall Glueck kill. With UIW leading 9-5, the Cardinals went on a 6-1 run the rest of the way to take the fifth set 15-6 to claim the overall victory.
 
Keegan Nelms led all players with 23 kills, tying her career high. Nelms also picked up her seventh double-double of the season with 11 digs. Katelyn Elliott was the only other Cowgirls to college double figure kills, ending the match with 10.
 
Three Cowgirls picked up double figure digs with Angela McGownd recording a match high 24. Besides Nelms with 11 digs, Caitlin Sharrock was credited with 10. Sharrock also had a double-double by dishing out 19 assists.  
 
Amari Franklin led McNeese with 25 assists and Allison Lippert led all players with a match high six blocks.
 
McNeese will close out the regular season next week at home with a Thursday match against Southeastern La. and its regular season finale match against Northwestern State on Saturday.