NEW ORLEANS – With seeding to be decided in the final week, the New Orleans Privateers volleyball team will play their final two matches of the regular season. A short trip to Nicholls on Thursday is followed by Senior Day at home against HCU on Saturday at 12 p.m.
SENIOR DAY FESTIVITIES
Before the match,
Mauri Carver,
Kristi Gomez,
Rita Zecchin,
Trinity Jackson and
Sheilah Purcell will be honored for their contributions to the program and university.
Carver currently leads the Southland in solo blocks and has the most total solo blocks in a season in program history since 1995. Gomez has three double-doubles and has 157 kills along with 130 digs.
Rita Zecchin leads the team and is in the top 10 in the Southland in aces per set.
Trinity Jackson was a Southland All-Academic selection in 2021.
Sheilah Purcell earned All-Conference honors last season.
A MILESTONE TO REACH
Purcell enters the final week of the season at 963 digs. With 37 more, Purcell would become the 11
th player in program history to reach the 1,000-digs mark at New Orleans.
PREVIEW
The Privateers enter this week as the 6-seed in the Southland Tournament. Currently, New Orleans and Northwestern State are tied for fifth place with the Demons holding the tiebreaker by virtue of the season series.
Seeds five through eight will play on the first day of the tournament which is to take place in Hammond, La. from Nov. 17-20.
The Privateers rallied from 2-0 down to defeat the Colonels in the first meeting at home. New Orleans lost in four sets to HCU at Sharp Gym.
ABOUT THE COMPETITION
Nicholls has won three straight after a 1-12 start in conference play. They swept through Lamar and defeated Texas A&M-Commerce in that stretch. Kadie Becnel was named Southland Defensive Player of the Week on Monday and is seventh in the conference in digs per set at 3.94.
HCU has maintained at the top of the standings throughout the season and enters the final week tied for first with a 12-4 league record. The Huskies lead the Southland in both team hitting percentage (.242) and opponent team hitting percentage (.176).
SOCIAL MEDIA
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