THIBODAUX, La. – After an inspired victory over Abilene Christian on Tuesday night, the Nicholls State University women's volleyball team will look to carry their momentum into Thursday's contest as they face conference rival Southeastern Louisiana at 6:30 p.m. in Stopher Gymnasium.
 
It came down to the final set on Tuesday night as the Colonels (8-15, 4-6 SLC) earned a hard-fought 3-2 victory over the Huskies, snapping a four-game slide. The Lions (8-14, 5-5 SLC) have dropped three of their last four matches and are coming off of a 3-1 loss to Abilene Christian on Saturday, but hope to shake things up against the Colonels.
 
In their only meeting last season, Nicholls took a 3-1 victory over Southeastern La.
 
This year Kaci Eaton leads the Colonels offensively with 339 kills and exploded for a season-high 25 kills against Abilene Christian on Tuesday. Ainsley Marroccoli paces the squad with 524 assists and Kali Schwartz has a team-leading 20 service aces. Kalynn Egea spearheads the Nicholls defense with 445 digs this season, and is first in the conference in digs per set (5.78). Egea has gone on a tear over the past two matches, earning a combined 57 digs. Emily Weimer leads the team with 51 blocks this year.
 
The Lions bring a balanced offensive attack with five different players registering 110 or more kills heading into Thursday's match. Mikayla Shippy paces Southeastern La. with 623 assists, while four different Lions have 10 or more service aces on the year. The team's balanced approach carries to the defensive side as well, with four players earning over 100 digs and seven players earning double-digit blocks in 2014.
 
Nicholls will host Southeastern Louisiana Thursday before taking on the University of New Orleans at 2 p.m. on Saturday in Stopher Gymnasium.
 
Visit geauxcolonels.com to find live stats and the most up-to-date information on Nicholls women's volleyball.