COMMERCE, Texas –
Karen Cordero Barr had 10 kills in the fourth set and the New Orleans Privateers put together a strong defensive effort to defeat the Texas A&M-Commerce Lions 3-1(25-21, 25-21, 21-25, 25-23) on Thursday at the Field House. The Privateers snapped a six-match losing streak with the triumph.
The graduate student had 20 kills and 23 digs. It was the first time a Privateer achieved 20-plus kills and digs in a match since Maria Szivos did it in November 2009 against Arkansas State in the opening round of the Sun Belt Tournament.
Cordero's run started early in the set when she scored on the third rally for the Privateers. Perhaps the most crucial point was when New Orleans went on a 4-0 run to take an 18-15 lead. In that stretch, Cordero had kills on three straight rallies.
A
Courtney Roundtree block set the Privateers up with match point at 24-20 but the Lions came back with three straight points of their own. New Orleans was undeterred though as
Ryan Williams finished off the victory with her eighth kill of the night.
New Orleans was able to establish a lead in the match because of their defense which held the Lions to a .141 attack percentage through the first two sets. New Orleans also never trailed in either of those two sets and was only tied on the scoreboard twice.
The Privateers also served up 11 aces, which is a new season high. Their previous best was 10 aces against Southern on Sept. 9. Cordero had five aces, which is also a new season best.
Texas A&M-Commerce took the third set after they stretched out to an eight-point lead at 19-11. The Privateers rallied to make it interesting in the late stages as they closed the gap down to as little as two points but the Lions held on to force a fourth set.
INSIDE THE BOX
Roundtree had 13 kills and four total blocks while hitting .409 for the night.
Lani Alleman (18),
Chandler Lee (12) and
Tatiana Mercer (11) all landed in double-figures in digs. Lee also added seven kills. Williams finished with eight kills and eight digs.
Vera Beltrame had 24 assists while
Defne Eciroglu finished with 21 assists.
The Lions were led by Essence Allen who had 14 kills and 19 digs. Reese Fetty finished with eight kills and 18 digs. Texas A&M-Commerce has now lost four straight matches.
NEXT UP
The Privateers will head to Houston to face HCU at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
WE ARE YOUR KREWE
For 54 seasons, Privateer student-athletes have had the unique experience of wearing New Orleans across their chests. Like the city itself, our sports teams have been fueled by resiliency, grit, and the unquenchable desire to win. Our city also houses the nation's biggest celebration each year. And much like a Mardi Gras parade krewe, we are tethered to our community through pride, tradition, a culture of acceptance, and finally our commitment to show that New Orleans is a world-class city to live, learn, play and work. We invite you to become more involved with the only University that truly represents New Orleans all day, every day. Join #NOLAsTeam, We Are Your Krewe!
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