Weekend Info

THIBODAUX, La. – After playing its first two matches at home last weekend, the Nicholls women's volleyball team returns to the road this weekend to take on the newest members of the Southland Conference in the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals and Abilene Christian Wildcats this Thursday and Saturday in Texas.
 
The Colonels are in the midst of a three-match losing skid after dropping both matches over the weekend to Sam Houston State and Lamar, but the same can be said for UIW and ACU who both got swept by Oral Roberts and Central Arkansas and sit at 0-2 in league play after the first weekend of action.
 
The Opening Serve
The Nicholls women's volleyball team returns to action this weekend, heading out for one of the longest trips of the year to take on Southland Conference newcomers Incarnate Word and Abilene Christian this Thursday and Saturday night in Texas. The Colonels are coming off of back-to-back losses to open SLC play last weekend, falling at home to Sam Houston State and Lamar in straight sets to open the home schedule. The Colonels have dropped their last three matches, all sweeps, since defeating UT Martin on Sept. 14, and will look to get back into the conference race this weekend against the Cardinals and Wildcats.
 
Kayla Mashburn led the team with 23 kills on the weekend, while Marlee Bean averaged 7.00 assists per set and Kalynn Egea had 23 digs to finish the weekend with a 3.83 digs per set average. Kayla Burling is currently sixth in the conference averaging 3.27 kills per set and fourth in service aces with 41 for a .41 per set average.
 
The Opposition
University of the Incarnate Word
Incarnate Word will host their first two Southland Conference matches in the team's history this weekend, as the Cardinals enter the week with a 4-4 overall record and 0-2 mark after dropping matches at Oral Roberts and Central Arkansas. UIW will play three matches in three days beginning with Nicholls on Thursday, Angelo State on Friday and McNeese State on Saturday. UIW is led by Jennifer Montoya, who is in her 11th season with the program. As a player at Florida, Montoya was a part of three national semifinal appearances and was an All-American in 1998. The Cardinals are led by hitter Angelique Vidaurri who averages 3.14 kills per set this season, while Danielle Suarez and Taylor McClelland share the bulk of assists. As a group, UIW hits .203 while allowing opponents to hit .204.
 
Abilene Christian
The ACU Wildcats are 4-6 on the season and also dropped both matches to ORU and UCA in straight sets along with the Cardinals. However, ACU has played only Division I opponents this season, with no games on the schedule against lower competition. The one thing they and UIW both have in common is that each defeated Big 12 member Texas Tech this season within a week of each other. The Wildcats are led by head coach Kellen Mock who is in his eighth season at the helm of the program. ACU returns nine letterwinners and six starters from a team that made it to the Lone Star Conference tournament quarterfinals last season. The Wildcats lead the league in blocking with 2.14 blocks per set and holding teams to just .174 hitting.
 
Series Records
This will be the first ever meeting between the Colonels and Cardinals on the court.
 
The all-time series between the Colonels and Wildcats stands tied at 1-1, as this is the first meeting between the two teams since 1981. Nicholls won the first ever meeting against the Wildcats in 1977, 3-2, with ACU winning the second, 2-0.