Final Stats THIBODAUX, La. - Playing for the first time at home since winning the 2011 PRO-MAG Bayou Invitational, the Nicholls State women's volleyball team opened its conference home slate on Thursday, falling to the Central Arkansas Sugar Bears 3-0, 18-25, 22-25, 18-25 at Stopher Gym.

Nicholls falls to 14-5 on the year and 1-2 in the Southland Conference. The Colonels have dropped back-to-back matches for the first time since losing to UTEP and New Mexico State Aug. 27-28 in the beginning of the season.

For the second straight game the Colonels were held without an individual double-digit kill night, as Kathryn Stock led Nicholls with nine kills, while Jordan Karst finished with 25 assists and 12 digs for her sixth double-double of the year.

UCA (7-8, 3-1 SLC) finished with 50 kills on the night on .231 hitting, with 15 or more kills in each of the three sets. Jessica Nagy finished the match hitting a blistering .306 with 16 kills and 10 digs. Lindsey Barron finished with 15 kills, while Lauren Dear amassed 44 assists to go along with Cristin Curl's 32 digs.

The Colonels only gained the lead three times in the first set, and would trail the rest of the set as UCA would maintain a two to three point lead throughout most of the first stanza. Although the Colonels would make it close down 14-12, the Sugar Bears rattled off five of the next eight points to take a 19-15 lead and eventually win the set 25-18.

The Colonels put together their best play in the second set of the match. The Colonels and Sugar Bears would trade salvos throughout the first 20 points of the set, before UCA would manage to take a three point lead at 14-11. Every time the Colonels would come within a point of tying the game, the Sugar Bears would continue to pull away. It was until Nicholls found a way to finally force UCA into errors that the Colonels were able to tie the game 18-18. Nicholls would take the lead on three occasions at 20-19, 21-20 and 22-21, but UCA scored four straight points to end the second set 25-22.

UCA by the third set was clicking on all cylinders, jumping out to an 18-11 lead at one point, never trailing after the Colonels had tied the score at 6-6 earlier in the set. Even after a four point run that brought Nicholls to within four of UCA at 19-15, the visitors shut the door on any comeback attempt, holding Nicholls to only three more points for the rest of the set and departed Thibodaux with a 3-0 road win.

The Colonels will be back in action Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. hosting the Northwestern State Lady Demons.