Final Stats THIBODAUX, La. – After dropping the first set 25-17, the Nicholls volleyball team looked to have the advantage at 23-21 in the second and earn a spilt heading into intermission. However, the Lamar Lady Cards would storm back to win the second and third sets in similar fashion, defeating the Colonels 3-0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-30) Saturday afternoon in Thibodaux.

The match, which also served as the team's annual breast cancer awareness game, saw a tough, competitive matchup between the two squads, as the Colonels were one spot behind the Lady Cards for second place in the eastern division.

Nichollls (17-11, 4-8 SLC) couldn't overcome the Lady Cardinals attack, as Lamar (8-19, 6-6 SLC) finished the match with 50 kills as a team behind the play of Sierra Whittaker who had 14, Wendy Krell's 11 and Christina Hobbs' ten. The Colonels were held in check by Lamar, as Rachel Yezak's eight kills were the most by any Colonel on the afternoon, while as a team hit .140 collectively.

Yezak finished with 12 digs to lead the Colonels defensively, while Jordan Karst finished with 16 assists. Lamar's Alex Morford finished the match with 48 assists while Megan Schwartz had 16 digs for the Lady Cards.

After taking a 5-3 lead, the Colonels would score three of the next four points to earn the first and only tie of the first set at 6-6. Lamar then scored three-straight to take a 9-6 edge before allowing the Colonels to score two points off a Lamar attack error and Jennifer Dunn ace making the score 9-8. It would be the closest the Colonels would be to Lamar for the rest of the set as a five of the next six points went to Lamar as Nicholls called a timeout down 14-9. Lamar would cruise through the remainder of the set for the 25-17 win.

An attacking Colonel squad came out with a renewed intensity in the second set, never allowing Lamar to gain any kind of lead early. The tone of the set would be sent early, as nine of the 11 ties in the set and four of the five lead changes happened within the first 22 points of the second. With the score tied 11-11, the Colonels took a 13-11 lead on an assisted block by Yezak and Sarah Terry and a Kathryn Stock kill.

That two point cushion was enough for the time being as the Colonels were able to maintain a steady lead over Lamar of one to two points over the next 14 points. With a 20-18 lead after another Yezak kill, the Colonels a block by Terry and Stock gave the Colonels a 21-18 advantage. Unfortunately the last two ties of the set would occur in the last nine points of the set, as the Lady Cards stormed back to tie the second at 21-21, and even after falling behind again by two points 23-21, Lamar closed out the set with four consecutive points to overtake the Colonels and win 25-23.

Nicholls would need to work to get back into the match after falling in an early hole in the third set, working their way to an 8-8 tie. Once again the Lady Cards outscored the Colonels 4-1 over the next five points to take a 12-9 lead, but like they had been doing the entire match, stormed back to tie the deciding set at 12-12 after kills by Terry and Yezak and Lamar attack error forced  the Lady Cards to call a timeout.

The timeout wouldn't work as the Colonels took the lead 13-12 on the very next play after a block by Jennifer Brandt and Terry. The team would trade out the next four points, until an attack error by Terry tied the match at 15-15. The next seven points would be hotly contested on both sides as the Colonels four of the seven for a 19-18 lead. Unfortunately for the Nicholls faithful in attendance, the Lady Cards shifted into a completely different gear and scored six-straight to take a commanding 24-19 lead over the Colonels. Yezak's final kill to make the score 24-20 would do little as Lamar came right back on the next play and ended the match with Whittaker's final kill of the night.

After nearly having a 70-percent advantage on sideouts against McNeese on Thursday night, the Colonels finished with 54-percent against Lamar, as the Lady Cards were 41-of-61 for 67-percent.

Nicholls will be back in action next Thursday hosting Texas State, with the match beginning at 7 p.m. in Stopher Gym.