Final Stats LAFAYETTE, La. – The Nicholls State University volleyball team used a season-high .311 hitting percentage and eight blocks to knock off Mississippi Valley State, 3-0 (25-11, 25-18, 25-15), in its opening game of the Bon Temps Invitational on Friday.

Nicholls (2-3) had a complete team effort in the win, led by a trio of juniors on offense. Jennifer Brandt tallied nine kills, Jasmine Harris had eight and Jessica Addicks finished with seven. Junior Nicole Lund and senior Jordan Karst shared the setting duties as the duo combined for 21 assists.

Nicholls had little trouble in the first game, doubling up MVSU (2-1) in the early going at 12-6. The Colonels then put together a 10-2 run that included two kills by Harris to take a commanding 22-8 lead, and junior Jennifer Brandt ended the game at 25-11 with an ace.

Leading by a point in the second set, Nicholls took advantage of three straight errors by MSVU to go up 9-5. The Colonels held a slight lead until the Devilettes knotted up the score at 15 before taking the lead on an error; however, Nicholls closed out the game with another 10-2 run to claim set two, 25-18.

In the final set, Harris scored a kill to give Nicholls a 1-0 lead and the Colonels never looked back. Harris and Brandt then recorded a kill each to spark a 5-0 run, pushing the advantage to 20-11. After seeing stretching the lead to nine, Brandt sealed the match with Nicholls' third ace of the day, giving the Colonels their second shutout of the season.

On defense, senior Rachel Yezak and Harris recorded four blocks a piece, while junior Kathryn Stock had six digs.

Nicholls will be back in action for day two of the Bon Temps Invitational with a pair of matches on Saturday. The Colonels face Southern University at 10 a.m. before closing out against Louisiana-Lafayette at 6 p.m.