NEW ORLEANS – For the second time in less than 24 hours, the University of New Orleans volleyball team played a five-set match. However, this time the result was more to their liking.
The Redhawks of Southeast Missouri State (1-2) furnished the opposition in the sixth and final game of the two-day New Orleans Invitational, but the Privateers fought back from a 2-1 deficit in sets to win sets four and five for their second win of the year, 25-12, 18-25, 19-25, 25-19, 15-12. New Orleans dropped a five-set affair Friday night to Fordham after leading 8-2 in the final set.
New Orleans head coach
Millicent Van Norden was happy with the win despite feeling her club's performance in the fifth set was similar to Friday night.
"It was the same. We were just farther ahead later. The same thing happened essentially but we responded to it differently. Our mindset was better but we still have to work on execution," she added.
Against the Redhawks, UNO led 14-7 in the final set but had to sweat out a run of five match points by Southeast Missouri State before a
Blessing Dunn kill was the match clincher, 15-12. Dunn, a junior, with 17 kills and 10 digs on the day, was named to the all-tournament team.
"The good thing is we see that we can put it together, they do believe in each other and when they started to think in set-five more about playing as a team instead of individual mistakes they responded really well," said Van Norden.
In the first game of the second day of the New Orleans Invitational, Fordham (3-0) did away with the Lady Braves of Alcorn State (0-3) in straight sets, 25-10, 25-13, 25-12.
Joining Dunn on the all-tourney squad were fellow Privateer
Kaitlyn Grice, Nzingha Clarke and Madeline Grimm of Southeast Missouri State, McKenna Lahr and Olivia Fairchild of Fordham and Pai Isoia of Alcorn State.
Saturday's victory was a positive learning experience for a young team that Van Norden knows has a long way to go but may be on track to reaching its potential.
"We learned that we play better when we are more comfortable. When we control the ball on serve-receive, it's easier to stay ahead on the scoreboard. And when we serve aggressive, defense becomes one-dimensional."
Up next for the Privateers, the Tennessee State Invitational, in Nashville, September 1-2.
For more information on New Orleans Women's Volleyball and Privateers Athletics, visit our official website,
www.unoprivateers.com or follow us on social media.
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