Privateers Work Past Tennessee State in Four Sets

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NEW ORLEANS, La. – The New Orleans Privateers volleyball team (7-5) used quick spurts to build a 2-0 lead and ultimately take a 3-1 win (25-22, 25-19, 19-25, 25-13) over the Tennessee State Tigers on Friday evening at the Human Performance Center.
 
After taking the first two sets while never trailing, the Privateers found themselves behind for most of the third set after dropping the first three points. New Orleans battled back to level the score four different times, but could not push forward, which set the stage for a much more dominant fourth and final set.
 
Both teams split the first 10 rallies evenly, and that's when the Privateers dealt a final blow in the form of a 10-0 run. Keke Irby and Blessing Dunn each had two kills during that stretch and the Tigers were also charged with two attack errors and two blocking errors. New Orleans was able to coast from there to finish off the match.
 
The match started on an even note until the Privateers broke a 7-7 tie with a 6-1 spurt. New Orleans played most of the rest of the set with an advantage between three and five points. The Tigers staved off set point three times to narrow the gap to 24-22, but Takierra Boughton ultimately finished the set after jumping right on the court with a cross court kill.
 
New Orleans raced out to an 8-3 lead in the second set and never looked back. The Tigers narrowed the deficit to three, but could not get any closer as they were held to an .034 hitting percentage in that set. For the match, the Privateers hit .242 while allowing their opponents to hit just .125 for the night. New Orleans also had nine service aces to just three for the Tigers.
 
Leading the way individually was Dunn who racked up 14 kills. Samantha Uline notched her second double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs. Irby and Kaitlyn Grice both had efficient nights hitting .357 and .391 respectively as Grice also landed in double figures in kills with 11. Lauren Levy led the way in digs with 15. Boughton also added six kills to the attack while Celeste Ramirez had 42 assists, five digs, and two service aces.
 
Tennessee State was led by Chloe Watson who had 12 kills. Ayanna Chase and Haley Hampton added six kills each. Hampton was also in on six blocks (all assist). Madison Halterman had 11 digs while Samantha Beltran chipped in with eight digs.
 
The Privateers close the weekend on Saturday against Grambling. First serve is for 12 p.m.
 
To keep up with the latest New Orleans volleyball news, follow the team on Twitter @UNOPrivateers and @Privateers_VB or by liking New Orleans Privateers on Facebook.