THIBODAUX - The Nicholls State University women's volleyball team (11-10, 3-5 Southland Conference) will look to snap a four-match conference losing streak and sweep their season series with Southeastern Louisiana (10-15, 1-7 Southland) when the Colonels hit the road to take on the Lions in Hammond on Thursday night.

Nicholls heads into the match looking to regain the form that saw them match the best start to a season in school history when the Colonels went 8-3 through the first 11 matches of the season.  Nicholls, in the hunt for its third consecutive Southland Conference Tournament berth, remains two wins shy of their 2009 overall wins total, and Nicholls needs three conference victories to match last season's Southland win total.

The Colonels enter Thursday's match in sole possession of third place in the Southland East Division standings.  However, Nicholls currently sits in a three-way tie with Stephen F. Austin and Texas-Arlington for seventh place in the league's overall standings.

The Colonels hope a sweep of the season series with the Lions can help Nicholls solidify their place in the conference tournament race. Nicholls won the first of two matches with Southeastern La. when the Colonels took a 3-1 victory over the Lions on Sept. 17.

Despite their current four-match skid in league play, the Colonels still boast one of the best defenses in the conference.  Nicholls enters the match ranked second in the league with a 17.04 dig/set average.  The Colonels are led by junior libero Danielle Daigle who leads the league with a 5.74 dig/set average that also ranks seventh in the nation.

First serve between the Colonels and Lions is set for 7 p.m. at the University Center in Hammond.  Following the match, the Colonels will return to Nicholls to host Stephen F. Austin on Saturday Oct. 23.