NEW ORLEANS, La. – The New Orleans Privateers volleyball team (6-15, 0-7 Southland) will conclude a four-match road trip, starting Thursday when taking on the Northwestern State Lady Demons (7-12, 4-2) at the Prather Coliseum.
New Orleans comes in with four days to prepare after dropping a conference match to Southeastern in Hammond on Saturday. The Privateers have lost four straight since defeating Alcorn State in three sets on Sept. 30. In the last five matches, New Orleans has gone to extra rallies in six of 18 sets.
Celeste Ramirez registered 59 digs in three matches last week including back-to-back performances of 20-plus digs. Against Nicholls, Ramirez set a new season high in digs with 24. On Saturday against Southeastern, Ramirez had 14 digs and 13 assists while playing the second and third set at setter.
Cara Sander set a new career-high in digs against Southeastern, recording 14. Sander also contributed three blocks against the Lady Lions and has 10 blocks in her last four matches after recording 11 blocks in her first 16 matches. Sander also recorded four service aces against Southeastern and has 16 aces on the season.
New Orleans is 8-7 all-time against Northwestern State. After losing the first four meetings, the Privateers won eight of the next nine. The Lady Demons took both of the most recent meetings in 2013. Only two of the 15 match-ups between the two schools have taken place in Natchitoches.
The Lady Demons enter off a 1-1 week. After defeating Houston Baptist in three sets, the Lady Demons dropped a four-set match to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Of the 19 matches Northwestern State has played, only two have taken place at home. The Lady Demons' first home match did not occur until Oct. 2 against Abilene Christian.
Northwestern State is first in the Southland in blocks with 191 total, 30 more than second place Stephen F. Austin. Glynna Johnson leads the way individually in blocks with 99 total (11 solo, 88 assist). Johnson is second in the conference in blocks behind Chelsea Grant of Lamar.
On Saturday, New Orleans will head to Stephen F. Austin for a second meeting against the LadyJacks. The two teams met during the Louisiana Tech Invitational, a match Stephen F. Austin won in three sets. The LadyJacks are 13-7 overall and 6-0 in conference play and have only dropped one set in conference.
On the year, Stephen F. Austin ranks in the top two in the Southland in hitting percentage, opponent hitting percentage, assists, kills, and blocks. Jill Ivy leads the team in kills with 261. Ivy is also tied for 9
th in the conference in hitting percentage (.263). Setter, Paige Holland enters the weekend having recently become the fifth player in Stephen F. Austin history to surpass 4,000 assists in a career.
First serve for the match against Northwestern State on Thursday is at 7 p.m. New Orleans' match versus Stephen F. Austin will start at 1 p.m.
