NEW ORLEANS –
Courtney Roundtree registered a team-high19 kills and
Chelsea Daffin had a double-double as the New Orleans Privateers held off a game Alcorn State Lady Braves squad for a 3-2 (21-25, 25-21, 25-16, 15-25, 15-8) victory on Saturday at the Human Performance Center.
The Privateers engineered a critical 8-0 run early in the fifth set to put the match out of reach. Ahead 4-3,
Molly Kehoe stuck the Lady Braves in a rotation and the Privateer offense hit .667 in their first 12 swings of the set.
Roundtree had two kills in that span while
Buse Kocakaya added two kills. The Lady Braves were left with too much ground to cover on the scoreboard and the Privateers were able to see out the remaining three points with a service error on Alcorn State ending proceedings.
An unanticipated delay hit after the Lady Braves took the first set. A campus wide power surge cut off the lights and paused the afternoon. Once both teams hit the floor for the second set, it was the Privateers who had all the momentum on their side.
It began with eight consecutive points to start the second set. While Alcorn State erased that run and led 18-16 at one point, Roundtree had four kills in a critical stretch of the set to vault the Privateers to a 25-21 set victory.
The momentum continued into the third set which saw New Orleans enjoy an 18-7 advantage in the kill department and a .375 attack percentage. The Privateers separated early behind a 6-0 run that was fueled by five kills and a block.
Alcorn State took the fight back to New Orleans after a strong fourth set that featured a .333 attack percentage. It was the first time the Lady Braves had been involved in a five-set match since 2022. Ramona Pulu notched a triple-double with 14 kills, 22 assists and 10 digs. Sydney Valentine led the Lady Braves' attack with 16 kills.
INSIDE THE BOX
Alexis Belarmino and
Defne Eciroglu combined for 51 assists on the match. Eciroglu also reached double-figures in digs with 11. Daffin finished with 14 kills and 17 digs.
Ava Kennon had seven kills and a .462 attack percentage.
Divine Muo and
Akeir Scales added seven kills apiece.
NEXT UP
The Privateers will face Florida A&M on Sunday at 12 p.m.
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!
Visit UNOPrivateers.com/signup to stay connected and follow us @UNOPrivateers on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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