Volleyball Suffers Loss Against Virginia Commonwealth

FT. MYERS, FLA. – Trailing 2-0 in the match, the University of New Orleans volleyball team forced a fourth set with a 25-21 triumph in the third frame, but could not force a fifth in a 3-1 loss (25-15, 25-16, 21-25, 25-19) to Virginia Commonwealth on Friday afternoon in the FGCU Hilton Garden Inn Invitational.

New Orleans (1-4) made adjustments during the intermission between sets two and three, resulting in the third frame triumph and a match-best nine kills in the final stanza. Despite the adjustments, Virginia Commonwealth's offense boasted a .305 hitting percentage on the match, hitting over .400 in two separate sets including the finale which propelled them to the victory.

"We weren't playing to our standards in terms of execution offensively and defensively," said head coach Millicent Van Norden. "but we tried to fight through it every play. We were constantly making errors which allowed their offense to put up numbers like they did tonight."

Jordan Yauch (Biological Science) paced the attack with six kills while also chipping in seven digs and a solo block. Sophie Mitchell made her collegiate debut in the match, dishing out a team-best 20 assists while assisting on a block.

Defensively, Samantha Uline (Exercise Physiology) anchored the Privateers with nine digs, followed by Blessing Dunn (Business Management) who finished with eight. Kaitlyn Grice (Biology) contributed three total blocks, one solo and two assisted, in the contest while Cara Sander (Marketing) amassed two assisted blocks.

After dropping the opening two frames, UNO scored the opening two points of the third set to take the early advantage, until a 3-0 response from VCU flipped the lead. The Privateers were able to reclaim the lead at 6-4 and held it until a 4-0 run by VCU put them behind two at 11-9. Yauch brought the royal blue and silver within one with a kill, and an error on the other side of the net knotted the score at 11-all. VCU countered again to retake the lead, but Sander recorded a kill and block assist in a three-point UNO rally that put the Privateers ahead 14-12. Trailing 18-16, Grice posted a solo block to spark a Privateer rally, resulting in a 22-18 lead for UNO. VCU scored three-straight to bring it within one, but New Orleans went on an identical run to take the set.

"We mixed things up in the third set," Van Norden explained. "we gave some players the opportunity the opportunity to compete and they came in and gave us energy and the effort we needed to take the third set."

In similar fashion to the previous game, New Orleans scored the first two points of the set before a VCU run gave them the lead. The Golden Rams scored four-straight following UNO's opening attack, and used a 5-1 spree later in the frame to create separation at 11-6. The Privateers responded with a solo block by Yauch, followed by a VCU attack error brought it to within three, before three-straight from Virginia Commonwealth extended their lead to 14-8. The Privateers couldn't close the gap, as the two sides exchanged 12-straight points in the final stretch until UNO broke the patter with a kill from Dunn to bring it within five at 24-19. VCU scored the ensuing point to end the contest.

The Privateers never led in the first two sets, as VCU jumped out to an early 8-2 lead in the opener and posted a game-best 17 kills in a 25-15 victory. New Orleans faired a little better in the second stanza, until a 5-0 run by the Golden Rams put them up eight at 19-11. UNO responded with a pair of points and looked to start a rally, but it was responded by a pair of points from the opposition to recreate the eight-point advantage.

"We are a young team and we will have days like this here and there so we will learn and put our best foot forward tomorrow," Van Norden concluded.

New Orleans concludes play in the FGCU Hilton Garden Inn Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 3 when they take on host Florida Gulf Coast at 9 a.m. UNO's first home match is slated for Thursday, Sept. 22, when the Privateers play host to Houston Baptist in the Human Performance Center. First serve for the contest is slated for 7 p.m. and admission is free.