NEW ORLEANS – It is a busy week for New Orleans Athletics as five Privateer programs will be gearing up for action but the only home contest on the Lakefront will take place this Thursday, Feb. 11 as the women's volleyball team, undefeated in Southland Conference play, will host Sam Houston at 6:30 PM CT at the Human Performance Center.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
New Orleans begins a three-game road trip that includes two Southland games this week. The Privateers will head to Central Arkansas on Wednesday, Feb. 10 for a 7 PM CT tip and follow it up with a showdown at UIW on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 3 PM.
Senior Dionjhae Thomas has been leading the way for New Orleans as she tops the team with an average of 11.6 points per game (13th-best in the conference). She has recorded double-digits in scoring in each of her past five games. The Thibodaux, La. native is also second in the conference in minutes played (32.7 per game), tenth in assists (2.8) and 17th in steals (1.7).
VOLLEYBALL
The Privateers look to remain unblemished in Southland play when they open up their home schedule on Thursday, Feb. 11 against Sam Houston. The match is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start.
New Orleans picked up a pair of road wins last week against Lamar and Nicholls. The two opponents hit just .163 against the Privateer defense.
Hannah Volpi has piled up the digs in bunches and currently sits third in the Southland in digs per set at 5.07. Volpi had 37 digs in the two conference wins. Meanwhile, Lucie Pokorna is pacing the field in assists at 10.6 per set. Both are in the top 50 in the nation in those categories.
This matchup pits the top two teams in the conference in blocks per set against each other. Shelby Pullins (third) and Alexis Parrish (fourth) are both top five in the Southland in blocks per set.
TRACK & FIELD
The New Orleans cross country program is back after a week off from competition with the Samford Invitational No. 2 this Friday, Feb. 12 through Saturday, Feb. 13 at the Birmingham Crossplex in Birmingham, Ala.
The Privateers are coming off one of the best collective meets in recent memory at the LSU Louisiana Invite. At the meet the Privateers posted some of the top marks in the nation while Shanell Atkins was named the Southland Women's Field Athlete of the Week after she broke the school record in the weight throw.
Real-time updates of the event can be found at
Twitter.com/PrivateersTFXC.
CROSS COUNTRY
We are cheating a bit as the cross country program will technically be in action next week, but it is important to note that New Orleans is set to compete at the 2020 Southland Cross Country Championships on Monday, Feb. 15 at Sidney Hutchinson Park in Walker, La.
Both the men's and women's programs are looking to rewrite the record book for the third consecutive year for lowest point total and lowest point total since joining the conference.
Live coverage of the event can be found at
Twitter.com/PrivateersTFXC.
