THIBODAUX, La. – With their backs against the wall and coming off of a three-game slide, the Nicholls State University women's volleyball team found another gear against McNeese State University, powering to a 3-0 victory on Saturday afternoon at Stopher Gym.
 
In a battle against their regional rival on Senior Day, in the final home match of Kalynn Egea's career, the Colonels (10-19, 6-10 SLC) stepped up at the right moment to earn a win against the Cowgirls (15-17, 5-11 SLC) and clinch the No. 8 seed at the Southland Conference Tournament.
 
With the loss, McNeese was eliminated from postseason play. Nicholls had not defeated the Cowgirls since the 2012 season prior to Saturday's match.
 
After a pregame ceremony honoring Egea, the lone senior on the Colonel squad, Nicholls stormed out to take an early lead in the contest. McNeese fought back, tying the game at 23 apiece before the Colonels found two straight points to close out the first set.
 
The second set was a neck-and-neck battle that included eight ties as the teams jostled for momentum. The Cowgirls pulled within a point at 24-23 before Nicholls closed out the set on a monstrous kill from Kaci Eaton.
 
The Colonels took an early lead in the third set, but McNeese responded, taking advantage of Nicholls miscues and surging to a five-point lead at 14-9. The two teams shared ties of 14-14, 15-15, 16-16, 17-17 and 18-18 before the Colonels hit the accelerator and cruised to a 25-22 set win to seal the match.
 
Mikayla Miller led Nicholls offensively with a career-high 13 kills and a .500 hitting percentage, stepping up at just the right moment to propel her team to the SLC tournament. In her final game at Stopher Gym, in front of her parents and brother, Egea led the Colonels defensively with 22 digs. Ainsley Marroccoli and Alyse Barclay finished with 16 and 11 assists respectively. Eaton had 12 kills and eight digs in the game, while Emily Weimer and Kali Schwarts each contributed six blocks.
 
Rachel Cagnina led the offensive attack for the Cowgirls with 10 kills and also added four blocks on the afternoon. Kelly Graham paced McNeese with 20 assists, while Adison Giambrone and Malina Sanchez added 16 and 14 digs respectively.
 
Nicholls will face No. 1 Stephen F. Austin at 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21 in the first round of the Southland Conference Tournament.
 
Visit geauxcolonels.com to find live stats and the most up-to-date information on Nicholls women's volleyball.