THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University women's volleyball team will have one of its toughest stretches of the season this week, stepping out of conference action and traveling to face the UNO Privateers on Tuesday and Grambling State Tigers on Thursday, before returning home on Saturday for the first of two meetings with Southeastern La. to resume Southland play.

Sitting at 5-10 overall and 2-4 in league play, the Colonels are on a four-match losing skid, the team's longest of the year. The Colonels have been swept in straight sets in each of the last four contests, falling this past weekend to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Sam Houston State.

Up first for the Colonels is the final match of their in-season series against the Privateers, as the Colonels hit the Big Easy for a 7 p.m. start in the Human Performance Center. Nicholls defeated UNO earlier this season in Thibodaux, needing to go to five sets before earning its first win over the Privateers in the last five meetings.

Since that loss, the Privateers have only won a single match in their last four outings currently sitting 4-10 overall, with that win coming last week against Southern University.

Nicholls meets Grambling for the first time this season, although the Tigers were supposed to be a part of the 2012 Nicholls Bayou Invitational field before the tournament was cancelled due to Hurricane Isaac. The Tigers are struggling and have not won a match yet this season.

Grambling has been swept in every match except for one, pushing Mississippi Valley State to five sets before losing to the Devilettes. Grambling is led by Tiara McIver who leads the team with 38 kills, with Breonna Loud's 69 assists. Chantel McGill leads the team in digs with 46, while Brilliante Osborne has 17 blocks and 11 service aces.

The Colonels have never lost to Grambling in seven meetings, earning a sweep in all but one of the seven.

Nicholls renews its rivalry against Southeastern La. on Saturday afternoon, holding a 55-39 advantage in all-time meetings, and currently holds a four-match winning streak over the Lady Lions. The Colonels haven't lost to Southeastern La. at home since the 2009 season, and is 18-12 against them in Thibodaux.

The Lady Lions are led by Courtney Donald who is averaging 3.88 kills per set with 202 on the season so far and 39 total blocks. Becky Bekalja has 467 assists on the year and is averaging close to nine per set. There are three players with over 100 digs so far, led by Megan McMillin's 243.

Live stats and video will be available at geauxcolonels.com for the matches against UNO and Southeastern.