New Orleans Privateers (7-11) at Houston Baptist Huskies (13-10)
Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012 • 2 p.m. CST • Sharp Gymnasium (Houston, Texas)
Live Stats • Live Video
HOUSTON – The New Orleans volleyball program will seek to win its fourth straight match as it challenges Houston Baptist on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Sharp Gymnasium.
Live stats and video of the match will be available at HBUHuskies.com.
UNO (7-11) has dropped just one set while winning its last three contests. The Privateers hit over .300 in back-to-back matches for the first time since 2009 to open the streak with home wins over Alcorn State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff, before heading out on the road to top Southern in four sets.
The defense has continued to play a large role for UNO in its successful outing on the court. Freshman libero
Lauren Levy has averaged 5.1 digs per set over her last three matches and has bolstered her season average with a 4.71 dig per set clip in victories this season.
Further aiding the defensive effort alongside Levy's handling of the back row, the Privateers have seen a recent surge in its blocking efforts at the net. UNO established a season-high with nine blocks last Wednesday at SU, eclipsing the eight stuffs accomplished earlier in the month against Nicholls State.
Taylor Berry led the Privateers with five blocks on Wednesday, knotting fellow freshman
Brionne Smith for the team's single-match high for the season. Smith is the team's leader in the category with 33 blocks in 63 sets played through 18 matches.
Offensively,
Laila Hansen remains UNO's top hitter with 2.68 kills per set. Smith has moved up to second on the squad with 2.17 kills a frame while pacing the team with a .242 hitting percentage.
The challenge for both the offensive and defensive sides of the floor will increase on Saturday as the Privateers attempt to stop a HBU (13-10) program that won the previous meeting between the teams 3-0 on Sept. 23 at the Human Performance Center.
The Huskies' win at the HPC launched a five-match winning streak for the squad, which will join the Southland in 2013-14. HBU followed the streak with a pair of losses before bouncing back in the win column with a 3-0 sweep of Chicago State on Thursday.
Heather Leverton and Jasmine Casey lead the Huskies with 3.22 and 3.2 kills, respectively. Though the duo paces the squad, Cati Wenger produced 15 kills with just two errors in 20 attacks to direct the offense in HBU's previous win over UNO.
The Privateers will return back from Houston following Saturday's match to prepare for a Tuesday home contest at the HPC against Louisiana-Lafayette. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
