By: Pam LaFosse
Box Score LAKE CHARLES- McNeese volleyball picked up a straight set (25-13, 25-13, 25-23) Southland Conference win over New Orleans Saturday to improve to 4-11 overall and 2-0 in league play. The loss drops UNO to 2-11 on the season and 0-2 in the SLC.
McNeese cruised to wins in the first two sets before having to battle midway through the third set to pick up the third set win.
With McNeese trailing 17-16,
Sanni Rantanen's kill brought the Cowgirls to within one point. Following a UNO timeout, the Cowgirls scored the next three points off two service aces by
Carissa Chainey and a UNO error to take a 19-17 lead and one they never gave up.
UNO tied the set at 22 apiece and then again at 23 all but kills by
Tshilanda Diouf and Chainey finished off the set and the overall match win.
Kayla Wilson led McNeese with 12 kills,
Emma Hendricks dished out 27 assists and
Bailey Tillman led all players with 13 digs.
McNeese ended the match with a season high 12 service aces and a season high 13 blocks. Chainey, Hendricks, and Tillman all led the Cowgirls with three aces apiece. Diouf led all players with a career high seven blocks.
McNeese will close out its three-match home stand with a Southland Conference match against Nicholls next Tuesday, Sept. 26.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1
• Took an early 6-2 lead
• UNO pulled to within one point, but the Cowgirls went on a scoring run to take a 15-7 lead following a
McKenzie Moore service ace.
• Moore ended the set with a kill, her fifth kill of the set
Set 2
• The set was nearly identical to the first as McNeese led 16-7 on a Chainey kill
• With McNeese leading 18-12, the Cowgirls outscored the Privateers 7-1 the rest of the way to win the set and took a 2-0 match lead
Set 3
• UNO led by as many as three points (17-14) but a scoring run by the Cowgirls including four straight points gave McNeese a 19-17 lead.
• With the set tied at 23 apiece, a kill by
Tshilanda Diouf and Chainey gave the Cowgirls the 25-23 set win and the match win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• McNeese improved to 2-0 in the SLC
• McNeese recorded a season high 12 service aces and a season high 13 blocks
•
Kayla Wilson led all players with 12 kills
•
Tshilanda Diouf picked up a career high seven blocks
•
Emma Hendricks led all players with 27 assists
•
Bailey Tillman inched closer to 1,000 career digs by ending the match with 13. Tillman needs 17 more digs to reach the 1,000 career dig plateau.
