HOUSTON, Texas - The New Orleans Privateers volleyball team were on the wrong end of both Saturday's decisions, falling 3-2 to Prairie View A&M (26-28, 26-24, 25-20, 15-9) and 3-0 to Grand Canyon (25-18, 25-12, 25-22).
Prairie View A&M 3 New Orleans 2
New Orleans (1-1) and Prairie View A&M (1-1) battled neck and neck, forcing a fifth and decisive set that Prairie View took, 15-9.
The Privateers received career performances from freshmen
Cara Sander and
Mikayla Sellers-Wiebe, and junior
Sara Hammoutene. Sander had 23 kills and nine digs, while Sellers-Wiebe had a personal best 23 digs and 11 kills. Hammoutene also set career highs in assists with 32 and digs with 11.
Junior
Celeste Ramirez also followed suit with a solid performance, turning in 16 assists and 16 digs.
In the first set, the Privateers prevailed 28-26 on the heels of Sander and Sellers-Wiebe teaming up for 12 total kills. New Orleans rallied down four and at match point, 24-20, to get the victory; the Privateers rallied to outscore the Panthers 8-2 to claim the set.
The same nip-tuck affair continued in the second set with Prairie View A&M emerging on top, 26-24. In the set for the Panthers, it was Mariah Cox and Candayce Alexander leading the way with four kills each.
The Panthers took control of the third set, finishing with a 25-20 advantage over the Privateers. New Orleans never led and came as close as two, 21-19, before Prairie View A&M rattled off four of the final five points of the set.
New Orleans showed tenacity in the fourth set, defeating the Panthers 25-21 to even the match. As a team, the Privateers lead by as many as five before Sander and junior
Taylor Berry combined for the set-ending block. The Panthers would claim the fifth set, 15-9 and the match. The Privateers trailed the entire set.
Grand Canyon 3 New Orleans 0
Grand Canyon (3-0) proved to be too much for the Privateers (1-2), as the Antelopes defeated New Orleans in three sets to win the Texas Southern Invitational.
Statistical leaders for the Privateers in the defeat were Sander with nine kills and Ramirez with 12 digs.
The Antelopes built its lead to as many as eight in the first set before taking the 25-18 victory. Of Sander's nine kills for the match, she had five in the first set.
Grand Canyon continued to surge in the second set, winning 25-12. The Privateers were outscored 16-6 to close the match.
The final set was New Orleans' best showing, but the Antelopes prevailed 25-22. Leading the Privateers in kills in the third set was sophomore
Courtney Roblez with four.
The Privateers return home to host Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday, September 2 in the HPC. First serve is at 6 p.m.
