SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Nicholls State University women's volleyball team put on a strong showing in its first-ever meeting against the University of the Incarnate Word by winning the first set. However, the homestanding Cardinals used everything they had to fend off the Colonels taking the final three to defeat Nicholls 25-23, 18-25, 24-26, 22-25 Thursday night.

The loss is the fourth consecutively for the Colonels, as Nicholls drops to 3-10 overall and 0-3 in Southland Conference play. UIW improves to 5-4 on the year and 1-2 in league play in their first season in the Southland Conference.

It was a tough one to take for Nicholls, as the squad hit relatively well finishing the night with an attack percentage of .180 to UIW's .192. But the Colonels hit into 14 total team blocks and allowed the Cardinals to earn double-digit kills in each of the four sets with just seven blocks of their own.

Kayla Burling produced her first double-double in league play in leading the team with 14 kills and 10 digs, while Kayla Mashburn finished the night with 17 points with her 12 kills, three aces, nine digs and four block assists. The Colonels also got solid hitting nights from Mikayla Miller's .583 (8-1-12) percentage and Kali Schwartz's six kills and .200 night.

Marlee Bean led the squad with 23 assists followed by Alyse Barclay's 18, as Kalynn Egea had 18 digs to lead all players for Nicholls in the loss.

UIW's Brittany Dean and Shaina Garza each posted double-doubles for the Cardinals, as Dean led all players with 16 kills to go along with her 13 digs, while Garza had 11 kills and 12 digs. Of their 50 assists on the night, 47 came from the duo of Danielle Suarez and Taylor McClelland, as Sarah Cardenas had 14 digs.

Trailing in the first set 20-15, Nicholls took its first and only lead of the set by going on a 7-0 run to go up 22-20 to turn the tables on the Cardinals. It was one of the most productive sets for Nicholls as the team hit .323 and converted nearly 70 percent of their side out chances to go on to claim the set 25-23.

There was much less drama in the second set as UIW broke a 5-5 tie by outscoring the Colonels 8-3 to take a 13-8 lead forcing a Nicholls timeout. Nicholls eventually fell behind by as many as nine points during the set as UIW was 14-for-18 on sideout chances with Nicholls earning just nine kills to drop the second set 25-18 to tie it up at intermission.

Much of the fireworks came in the third set as the two sides battled through eight ties and four lead changes throughout. After a 9-9 tie, a 6-2 run by the Colonels prompted a UIW timeout with the Colonels leading 15-11. With the lead in hand, Nicholls seemed poised to win the set with a 24-20 lead, but after a Cardinal timeout, UIW mounted an attack and the Colonels fell apart hitting into three blocks, committing two attack errors and ending with a Angelique Vidaurri kill to cap the 6-0 run allowing UIW to come back and take the fourth 26-24.

Incarnate Word jumped on the offensive from the start of the fourth set as the home side eventually went up 14-9 before Nicholls called a timeout. The timeout actually helped Nicholls as they went on a 4-1 run to pull within two points at 15-13. That confidence helped the Colonels battle back to tie, and eventually, take the lead late in the set going up 21-19. Unfortunately, that's where the offense would stall, allowing UIW to score four straight to go up 23-21 and give up just one more point to Nicholls in taking the fourth 25-22 to close out the match.

Nicholls will be back in action on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m., taking on the Abilene Christian Wildcats in Moody Coliseum in Abilene.