The University of New Orleans volleyball team finished the regular season with a three game sweep (30-26,30-20,30-20) over Sun Belt east division rival Arkansas State at Lakefront Arena on Friday Night. After an emotional pre-game tribute to their three seniors, Cathy Hughes, Ann MacMillan and Liz Matsko, the Privateers captured its first back-to-back conference wins of the season. The Privateers (10-17/5-10), who are the fifth seed in the Sun Belt west division, won its second consecutive match and have won four of five matches overall.
The three seniors were honored before the match by University Chancellor Greg O'Brien, athletics director Bob Brown and head coach Julie Stempel Ibieta and in front of parents, family and friends. In their last games at Lakefront Arena, Hughes had one kill on 12 attempts, four assists and one block, Matsko had five digs and two attempts and MacMillan had nine kills.
Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year candidate Jennifer Cruz led the Privateers with 16 kills followed by MacMillan and Mary Wanko who had nine apiec. Junior setter Alison Howard continued her consistent play with 34 assists, one kill, 11 digs for her team leading 12th double-double of the season. Howard was also acknowledged prior to the game for being named last week's Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week and for reaching the 3,000 career assist plateau. Howard was given a commemorative ball that said 3,000th Assist - vs. South Alabama, September 19, 2001.
The win gives New Orleans a two-match winning streak entering the Sun Belt Conference Tournament next week in Denver, Colorado. New Orleans travels to the "Mile High City" to meet the #4 seed from the Sun Belt east division (yet to be determined) on Wednesday, November 14th. The Sun Belt Tournament runs through next Saturday, November 17th.
