LAFAYETTE – The New Orleans beach volleyball team (2-13) finished 0-3 today (Friday, March 14) with competitive matches against Central Arkansas, Southern Mississippi, and Spring Hill.
The Privateers played an unusual number of matches today due to serious weather rolling in. Throughout the day, the wind presented itself to be the team's most unpredictable challenge, with sustained winds of 12 mph and a peak gust of 26 mph. Playing 3 games in under 12 hours was also a welcomed challenge for the team. It was difficult but rewarding in the end.
The lineup against Central Arkansas saw a new season pairing. First,
Savannah Moberly was back on the court today after a two-week absence from play. Courts 1-4 stayed the same for the Privateers. On Court 5 there was a new pairing of
Savannah Moberly and
Dayla Ward. On paper, Central Arkansas was a well-matched opponent. They lost 2-3 in a clash against McNeese which mirrored New Orleans' final result. This observation turned out to be true in practice. New Orleans found victory on Courts 2 and 3, with
Renata Dykstra and
Mona Salgado winning in a 3-set comeback, and Central Arkansas clenched Courts 4 and 5. It all came down to Court 1 in a nail-biting 3 set match where the teams switched match points back and forth until Central Arkansas found the 2 points for a 19-17 third set. It was a hard loss for the Privateers, but a great fight.
Southern Mississippi saw the same close clash with New Orleans. The Privateers took Courts 3 and 4 and the Golden Eagles took Courts 1, 2, and 5.
Ashley Salazar and
Jaedyn Newman on Court 4 found a comeback in an incredibly tight game where they mustered the confidence to finish off their game with a 15-11 final set.
Fatigue set in after the team's tough matches against Southern Mississippi, so the Privateers' match with Spring Hill presented an extra challenge. There was also a Court 5 switch-up.
Ava Rixford and
Lindsey Neal replaced
Savannah Moberly and
Dayla Ward on Court 5 for the match. The Privateers didn't back down. They brought 3 courts into a third set, with one of those three becoming the team's sole victory of the match.
Renata Dykstra and
Mona Salgado had standout performances today on Court 3. They were the only pair that won all 3 of their matches today, with 2 of them being third-set clenches. They possessed a lethal combination of sturdy defense and precise placement.
FINAL RESULTS
UCA 3, UNO 2
1 Anna Linskey/Riley Melton (UCA) def.
Nikelle Lander/
Tristin Smith (UNO) 19-21, 21-14, 19-17
2 Ivana Peixe/
Grace Hinchman (UNO) def. Madelyn White/Kenzie Foley (UCA) 21-15, 21-15
3
Renata Dykstra/
Mona Salgado (UNO) def. Callie Mullins/Katie Atkinson (UCA) 15-21, 21-13, 15-12
4 Lily Irizarry/Audrey Cathcart (UCA) def.
Ashley Salazar/Jayden Newman (UNO) 21-15, 21-13
5 Naya Tan/Reegan Siewart (UCA) def.
Savannah Moberly/
Dayla Ward (UNO) 21-16, 21-12
USM 3, UNO 2
1 Madison Cassidy/Zuzanna Michalska (USM) def.
Tristin Smith/
Nikelle Lander (UNO) 21-15, 21-12
2 Laurel Dennis/Sadie McAda (USM) def.
Ivana de Carvalho Peixe/
Grace Hinchman (UNO) 21-10, 21-12
3
Renata Dykstra/
Mona Salgado (UNO) def. Y-Nhu Do/Lillie Johnson (USM) 21-19, 21-14
4
Ashley Salazar/Newman, Jaedyn (UNO) def. Carmen Sanchez Delgado/Jaden White (USM) 18-21, 22-20, 15-11
5 Jessica Fairly/Giovanna Gurgel Bahia (USM) def.
Savannah Moberly/
Dayla Ward (UNO) 24-22, 21-13
SHC 4, UNO 1
1 Jaylyne Bell/Brooke Borgmeyer (SHC) def.
Nikelle Lander/
Tristin Smith (UNO) 21-14, 23-21
2 Elizabeth Hardouin/Marissa Peck (SHC) def. Ivana Peixe/
Grace Hinchman (UNO) 18-21, 21-17, 15-9
3
Renata Dykstra/
Mona Salgado (UNO) def. Kamble Frenette/Alessandra Lane (SHC) 14-21, 22-20, 15-10
4 Reagan Huff/Ashlyn Whiteside (SHC) def.
Ashley Salazar/Jayden Newman (UNO) 19-21, 21-11, 17-15
5 Addy Tolbert/Emma Payne (SHC) def. Ava Rikford/
Lindsey Neal (UNO) 21-8, 21-10
Next Up
New Orleans finishes up their time at Sugar Beach tomorrow with a rematch against UT Martin. There is not a specific start time because impending weather.
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