Privateers Begin Week With Conference Test at Nicholls

NEW ORLEANS AT NICHOLLS
TUESDAY-6:30 PM
STOPHER GYM | THIBODAUX, LA.

LIVE STATS | AUDIO | VIDEO | TWITTER | GAME NOTES 
 
 
FIRST SERVE
The New Orleans Privateers (8-9, 0-3) search for their first conference victory on the final match of a five-game road trip. The Privateers will travel to face the Nicholls Colonels (5-11, 0-4) on Tuesday night at Stopher Gym. First serve is for 6:30 p.m.
 
The Privateers came up on the short end of a 3-1 score at Central Arkansas in their last outing, last Thursday. New Orleans was able to hold the Sugar Bears to a .164 attack percentage on the night, but had 11 fewer kills on the match. New Orleans had six of their nine total blocks in the one set they took from Central Arkansas.
 
Lauren Levy is now averaging 2.84 digs per set after a season-high 16 digs on Thursday. Levy has registered at least 10 digs in nine of the Privateers' last 11 matches. Levy has 173 total digs on the season, putting her career total at 1,098.
 
The Privateers are 32-29 all-time against Nicholls. The Colonels have taken the last five meetings between the schools. In Thibodaux, the Privateers are 7-11. Blessing Dunn has eight service aces in the last five matches and is currently fourth in the Southland in service aces per set (0.43). Dunn is also nearing 100 digs for the season, standing at 94 heading into Tuesday.
 
QUICK HITS
-With nine blocks against Central Arkansas, the Privateers reached 100 total blocks on the season. Kaitlyn Grice leads the team individually with 41 total blocks (3 solo, 38 assist).
-Celeste Ramirez has recorded two straight double-doubles after going for 32 assists and 10 digs in the Privateers' last match.
-Rondolyn Bryant leads the team in solo blocks with nine. Bryant added two more to that tally last week and has 34 total blocks on the year.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Nicholls will be playing their first home match of the season after spending the first 16 games on the road. The Colonels are 0-8 in true road games and 5-3 in neutral site matches. Their last outing was a 3-1 loss at Lamar on Saturday.
 
Kaci Eaton was the Southland Newcomer of the Year in 2014, but had a late start to her season due to injury. Eaton did not appear in a match until Sept. 11 (vs. Tulane). Eaton had her best match of the season against Lamar, racking up 22 kills on a .413 attack percentage and adding 11 digs.
 
The Colonels sit near the top, ranking fourth in service aces (1.53 per set). Anna Niederhauser leads the team in aces (22), but has also posted 30 service errors. The Colonels have 81 total aces in 53 sets played this season. Kayla Mashburn is third in the conference in kills (3.39 per set).
 
Nicholls is coached by Tommy Harold who is in the midst of his third season in Thibodaux. Harold was the head coach at Loyola from 2003-12 where he earned 207 career victories. Last season, Harold returned the Colonels to the Southland Tournament after a one-year absence in 2013 where they lost in the opening round to Stephen F. Austin.
 
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