PHOTO GALLERY | HIGHLIGHTS
NEW ORLEANS – Playing for the final time this season, the New Orleans Privateer volleyball team ended the 2012 campaign on a high note with a 3-1 (25-22, 25-22, 23-25, 25-18) victory over Centenary on Thursday night at the Human Performance Center.
Taylor Berry totaled a career-high 17 kills to lead UNO (8-15), which snapped a four-match losing streak. Berry was one of four players in the Privateer lineup to post double-figure kills for the match.
The duo of
Laila Hansen and
Marti Richmiller contributed double-double efforts for head coach Kim Young-Buford's squad. Hansen posted 12 kills and 12 digs with Richmiller following suit with 11 kills and 10 digs.
Rounding out the Privateer offensive effort was
Brionne Smith with 11 kills. The UNO hitters benefited from setters
Ariane Labrzycki and
Ryan Hamilton. Labryzycki distributed 36 assists with Hamilton adding 15 more off the bench.
Every Privateer in the lineup contributed as
Nandi Brown served up a career-high four aces with
Lauren Levy pacing the defensive efforts with 16 digs.
Centenary fell to 2-33 with the loss. The Ladies' Brooke Bahlinger led the way with a career-high 13 kills while Sarah Irons ranked second on the team 11 kills.
Beth Nuttall contributed a double-double for the Ladies with 14 digs and 29 assists. Centenary's Jessi Wilcox led all players with 21 digs.
Berry stepped up her game in a critical juncture for the Privateers in the first set. With the score tied at 20-all, Berry delivered three of her six opening frame kills for UNO down the stretch as the hosts held on for a 25-22 victory
In the second stanza, the Privateers battled back from a five-point deficit. Trailing 12-7, UNO knotted the score at 16-all. As they had in the first set, the Privateers utilized late set success to head into the intermission with a 2-0 advantage following a 25-22 win.
Unable to gain momentum early, UNO once more faced a deficit, trailing 14-9 in the third set. The Privateers rallied to score nine of the next 14 points to tie Centenary at 18-all. Unlike the previous two frames, the Ladies had the hot hand late to force a fourth set with a 25-23 win.
There would be no hurdles to climb in the fourth frame. UNO took the lead early and maintained their edge through the match's conclusion. The Privateers hit a match-high .484 in the final stanza en route to a 25-18 victory.
With the regular season complete, the Privateers will return to floor early next year for spring practice before resuming competition in the fall as a full member of the Southland Conference.
