THIBODAUX - After an eight match homestand, the Nicholls State University women's volleyball team (9-6, 5-3 Southland Conference) hits the road for a four-match trip beginning with a Thursday night contest at Northwestern State (9-6, 1-2 Southland Confence).  First serve is set for 7 p.m. in Prather Coliseum.

Nicholls got the Southland Conference season off right with a 3-2 win over traditional league power Lamar last Thursday.  However, the Colonels enter the match with the Demons looking to rebound from a 3-2 heartbreaker against McNeese State last Saturday in the conclusion of their eight-match homestand.  Nicholls will look to regain the form that saw them tie the best start to a season in school history when the Colonels opened the year 8-3.

However, the Colonels will have their hands full with the Demons.  Northwestern State boasts an identical 9-6 overall record and is just 1.0 match behind the Colonels in the Southland East Division standings.  Northwestern State heads into the match coming off a victory over Sam Houston State last Saturday.  The Demons also own non-conference victories over Louisiana Tech, Arkansas State and North Texas.

The Colonels will once again have one of the best defenses in the country on their side when they match up with Northwestern State.  Nicholls ranks 35th nationally with a 16.49 dig/set average and junior libero Danielle Daigle owns the sixth best individual dig/set average in the country with a 5.72 dig/set mark.

Meanwhile, the Demons have ridden their blocking and service to their early season success.  Northwestern State ranks 26th nationally with a 1.75 ace/set average and Demon blocker Loranda Spann has turned in a 1.22 block/set average which ranks 51st in the nation.

Following their tilt with the Demons, Nicholls will visit defending conference power Central Arkansas on Saturday.  Nicholls enters this week's competition just 1.0 match behind the Bears for first place in the Southland East Division.

Nicholls' road trip continues with an Oct. 9 trip to Sam Houston State and an Oct. 12 visit to Jackson State in the final non-conference match of the season.

The Colonels will return to Nicholls on Oct. 15 for their 2010 Dig for the Cure Breast Cancer Awareness match against Texas A&M - Corpus Christi.