NEW ORLEANS, La. – The New Orleans Privateers volleyball team (6-17, 0-9 Southland) returns home for a two-match conference swing, which starts Thursday against the Abilene Christian Wildcats (2-19, 0-8) at the Human Performance Center. First serve against the Wildcats is at 6:30 p.m.
The Privateers are coming off a tough weekend stretch with losses in three sets to Stephen F. Austin and Northwestern State whose conference records rank second and third respectively. On Saturday, the Privateers allowed a match-high .487 hitting percentage to Stephen F. Austin.
New Orleans returns home for the first time in 16 days after four straight road matches. After Saturday, the Privateers will hit the road again for another four-match road trip. The Privateers are 3-7 at home this season.
Cara Sander racked up 36 kills over the four-match road swing after having 21 kills in her previous five matches. Sander leads the team on the season with 190 kills (2.71 per set). Sander also has eight matches of 10 or more kills this year.
Mikayla Sellers-Wiebe returned to action after having to miss the Privateers' road match against Southeastern while battling the flu. Sellers-Wiebe had 16 kills and 14 digs over the last two matches against Northwestern State and Stephen F. Austin. To date, Sellers-Wiebe has 170 kills and 178 digs. Sellers-Wiebe also leads the team in double-doubles with four.
The Privateers are facing Abilene Christian for just the second time in school history. The Wildcats took the match in three sets on Oct. 26, 2013, but each one was closely contested. Abilene Christian won 25-23, 28-26, 25-22. Entering Thursday, the Wildcats are trying to snap an eight-match losing streak.
Abilene Christian has been close on several occasions to breaking through in the win column. The Wildcats have lost four matches in five sets including three straight from Sept. 25-Oct. 2 against Central Arkansas, Incarnate Word, and Northwestern State. The Wildcats are led by Jennifer Loerch who is fifth in the conference in kills per set with 3.78.
On Saturday, the Privateers will take on Incarnate Word in the annual Dig Pink match with a first serve scheduled for 2 p.m. The Cardinals are 6-16 on the season and 2-7 in conference. Incarnate Word will take on Southeastern on Thursday night. Angelique Vidaurri leads the attack with 235 kills, and recently registered 24 kills in a four-set win over McNeese State on Oct. 12.
Both matches will be streamed live with play-by-play available on unoprivateers.com/watch.
