THIBODAUX – Winners of 12 straight matches, the Nicholls State women's volleyball team opens conference play this weekend traveling to face McNeese Thursday night and Lamar Saturday afternoon.

The Colonels have not lost since falling to New Mexico State on Aug. 28th a day after playing in UTEP's tournament.

One win away from matching all of last year's total wins, the Colonels look to make a statement against a 2-13 Cardinal team and 5-9 Cowgirl team to open conference play. Nicholls split with Lamar last year winning its first matchup but dropping the second, while losing both times to McNeese in 2010

The team is coming off winning its second tournament of the year in the 2011 PRO-MAG Bayou Invitational over the weekend, and another rousing five-set match win against Jackson State Tuesday night. Since starting the year 1-3, The Colonels own the best home record in the Southland at 7-0, and improve to 3-2 on the road and 3-1 in neutral site games.

Since going on this blistering hot streak, the Colonels have vaulted to the top of the conference statistically, including opponent hitting percentage (.144), blocks (125, 2.27 bpg) and service aces (104, 1.89 apg). The team is also second in hitting percentage behind Texas State with a .235 average.

Junior Sarah Terry leads the SLC in hitting efficiency posting a .373 clip, which is .57 points better than Texas State's Amari Deardorff. Jennifer Brandt's 16 kills against Alabama A&M is third best this year in the conference in only three-set matches, and 15 aces against Alcorn State, a conference record, leads the league, as Amada Newlin is second on that list with nine in the same match. Newlin's season-high nine blocks against the Tigers on Tuesday is also good enough for second individually. Jordan Karst's 54 assists against the ULM Warhawks is tied for second with three others so far this year, as

As a team, the .542 hitting percentage against the Braves is the best this year league-wide and in three-set matches, while the 64 assists against ULM is also tied for second in the league overall and in five-set matches. Defensively, the 22.5 blocks against JSU is the most this year for the team, and most in the league, as the team holds the distinction of most blocks in three-set matches (15 vs. Grambling) and the 22.5 in five against Jackson State.

Lamar won their first match in 12 tries on Saturday against Tulane, putting an end to the longest losing streak in team history. The Cardinals rank at, or near, the bottom in most statistical categories, having the worst opponent hitting percentage in the SLC. They've only won one game at home this year and haven't won at home since beating Texas Southern Aug. 27.

McNeese has peppered their schedule with a mix of teams from a variety of conferences leading to their current 5-9 record, most notable scheduling teams from the SEC in their most recent loss to Arkansas 3-0, Big 12, Mountain West and Sun Belt among others. The two common opponents being Grambling and ULM, two teams the Colonels have faced also this year. In their only meeting, the Cowgirls swept the Tigers, and split two matches against the Warhawks winning their home game 3-1, dropping the road game 3-2. With only 45 aces on the year total, the Cowgirls won't look to serve-out any matches, but they are third in the league in digs averaging 16.37 per set.

The match against McNeese will begin at 7 p.m. at Memorial Gym in Lake Charles, while the Lamar match begins at 1 p.m. at McDonald Gym in Beaumont.