FLORENCE, Ala. – The New Orleans Privateers volleyball team (2-3) lost a couple of tough matches on Friday against the Lamar Cardinals and the Grambling Tigers in the UNA Volleyball Classic.
GRAMBLING-3 NEW ORLEANS-2 (25-20, 23-25, 22-25, 25-19, 15-10)
The deciding set in the nightcap saw an even start before Grambling went on a 5-0 run to take an 9-3 lead which proved to be insurmountable. In that stretch, the Privateers were held without a kill in their first 10 attempts.
After losing the first set, the Privateers rallied from down as many as seven points to take the second set. Trailing 15-8, New Orleans went on a 10-1 run. Four different Privateers recorded a kill in that stretch to give the Privateers a two-point lead.
After Grambling rallied to tie the set with five straight points at 23-23, New Orleans closed the set with a
Chandler Lee kill and a Tigers attack error.
The Privateers and Tigers went back-and-forth in a tightly contested third set with the match tied at 1-1. The score was level at 20-20 when
Trinity Jackson recorded a kill and a block in consecutive rallies to help spring New Orleans to the set and a 2-1 lead.
New Orleans got out to a four-point lead at the outset of the fourth set looking to wrap up the match. However, the Tigers clawed their way back to a tie score at 14-14. After a Haley Gomez service ace put Grambling ahead, they finished the set on an 11-5 run.
Kristi Gomez led the attack with eight kills while
Sydney Gott registered seven.
Trinity Jackson finished with 20 of the Privateers' 99 digs on the match.
Kamryn Scroggins finished with 17 digs and 32 assists.
LAMAR-3 NEW ORLEANS-1 (22-25, 27-25, 26-24, 25-17)
The first of four meetings on the 2022 season went to the Cardinals who won two of the three sets in extra rallies.
New Orleans got out to a quick start, leading 10-6. Though Lamar had narrowed the gap to a single point, the Privateers led for the rest of the set. The defense limited the Cardinals to an attack percentage of .053 for the opening set.
Over the next two sets, the Privateers had three looks at set point: one in the second and two in the third. However, the Cardinals saved all of them and went on to win both sets to flip the script and gain a 2-1 lead in the match.
In the fourth and deciding set, Lamar hit .321 to cap off the victory. The next time the two teams will face off is in Arlington, Texas in two weeks.
Sophia Ewalefo recorded her second double-double of the season with 12 kills and 11 digs.
Sheilah Purcell had 24 digs. Ewalefo and
Mauri Carver each had four block assists.
Kamryn Scroggins finished with 28 assists and
Rita Zecchin had three service aces.
NEXT UP
The Privateers finish the UNA Volleyball Classic with the hosts, North Alabama on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
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