HAMMOND, La. – In the second-to-last match of the season, the Nicholls State University women's volleyball team fell 3-1 against Southeastern Louisiana University in a match that went down to the wire on Tuesday night in Hammond.
The Colonels (9-19, 5-10 SLC) fall into a tie for eighth in the conference standings with McNeese State University, which defeated the University of New Orleans in straight sets earlier in the night.
With the win, the Lions (11-16, 8-7 SLC) clench a playoff berth.
Nicholls played aggressively against Southeastern La., battling neck-and-neck until the final point. The Lions took a narrow 25-23 victory in the first set, before the Colonels responded in the second with a 25-21 win, taking a 1-1 tie into the break. Southeastern La. came out on fire in the third, winning the set by a decisive 25-13 margin.
Nicholls would not go quietly, as the teams traded leads throughout the fourth set. The Colonels took a three-point lead before the Lions went on a run to take a six-point lead. Nicholls battled back, tying the match at 24 apiece, before Southeastern La. scored two straight to seal the victory.
Kaci Eaton had a stellar night with 20 kills, 15 digs, two services aces and two blocks in the loss.
Kalynn Egea finished with a team-high 27 digs on the night, while
Stephanie Tobison added 16.
Alyse Barclay paced the squad with 44 assists on the night.
Tiffany Thomas and Landry Bullock led the Lions offensively with 14 and 10 kills respectively. Morgan Todd finished with a team-leading 41 digs, while Mikayla Shippy led the team in assists with 36.
The Colonels will battle McNeese at home in the regular season finale at 2 p.m. on Saturday Nov. 15. The match will be Senior Day as Egea plays the final home game of her illustrious Nicholls career.
Both the Colonels and the Cowgirls will enter Saturday's match with a 5-10 SLC record. The winner will punch their ticket as the eighth seed in the Southland Conference Tournament, while the loser will be eliminated from the postseason.
Visit geauxcolonels.com to find live stats and the most up-to-date information on Nicholls women's volleyball.
