NEW ORLEANS, La. – The New Orleans Privateers volleyball team (6-19, 0-11 Southland) takes back to the road starting Thursday against the McNeese State Cowgirls (12-14, 2-8) at Memorial Gym in Lake Charles.
The Privateers ended last weekend with a four-set loss to Incarnate Word on Saturday. New Orleans dropped the first set at 32-30, marking the longest set New Orleans has been involved in this season. This season, the Privateers have been involved in 13 sets that have gone to extra rallies.
Rondolyn Bryant went for double figures in kills on Saturday, collecting 10 in 22 attempts. It marked the fifth time this year that Bryant went for 10 or more kills. Bryant's season best was 13 kills against Nicholls on Oct. 7. Bryant also added four total blocks to her total last weekend and now has 50 on the year (16 solo, 34 assist).
Mikayla Sellers-Wiebe enters having scored 10 or more points in five of the last six matches. Sellers-Wiebe had nine kills, one ace, and assisted on a block for 10.5 points against Incarnate Word. On the year, Sellers-Wiebe has 219.5 points.
The Privateers and Cowgirls will be meeting for the 38
th time in program history with McNeese State leading the all-time series by a narrow 19-18 margin. The Privateers have dropped eight straight against McNeese since the last victory on Sept. 8, 2001 in New Orleans. The Cowgirls took both meetings last year, garnering a three-set win in the Louisiana Tech Invitational and a four-set victory at home.
McNeese State was also swept in conference action last week. The Cowgirls dropped a four-set decision at Houston Baptist and followed by falling to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in three sets. McNeese State has lost 11 of the last 14 matches after a 9-3 start to the year.
The Cowgirls' attack is led by Rachel Cagnina who has 242 kills in 83 sets played. Cagnina has a .277 hitting percentage, seventh-best in the Southland. Amber Fryer leads the team in kills with 253 and Malina Sanchez leads the conference in service aces with 50. McNeese State also has the third-lowest opponent hitting percentage in the Southland (.182).
New Orleans will then travel to Thibodaux to take on the Nicholls Colonels (8-15, 4-6). The two teams met on Oct. 7 with the Colonels taking the match in four sets. Nicholls has won the last four meetings against the Privateers.
The Colonels are led by Kaci Eaton who has 338 kills on the year and is second in the Southland in kills per set. Eaton committed the most attack errors in a match (12) in the first meeting against the Privateers. Kalynn Egea leads the Southland in digs with 5.78 per set. Nicholls snapped a four-match losing streak in their last outing, a 3-2 win over Abilene Christian on Tuesday.
The Privateers' match against McNeese State will begin at 7 p.m. On Saturday, New Orleans will face Nicholls at 2 p.m.
