ABILENE, Texas – The Nicholls State University women's volleyball team was downed 3-1 by Abilene Christian in north Texas on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Colonels (9-18, 5-9 SLC) took the first set, before dropping the next three straight to cede the victory to the Wildcats (6-22, 4-10 SLC).
 
Nicholls opened well on Saturday, taking a 25-21 victory in the first set. Abilene Christian responded in the second, taking a 25-17 victory heading into the break.  The third set was a back-and-forth contest with the Wildcats outlasting the Colonels 25-21. Abilene Christian took the final set 25-17 to win the match.
 
It was a difficult loss for Nicholls, which remains in eighth place in the Southland Conference Standings, clinging to the final tournament spot with just two games remaining in the regular season.
 
Kaci Eaton led the Colonels with 18 kills and 11 digs in the game. Alyse Barclay recorded a career-high 44 assists in the match. Kalynn Egea paced the Nicholls defense with 22 digs, while Emily Weimer added four blocks.
 
Three different Wildcats contributed ten or more kills in a balanced offensive effort, while Sarah Siemens had a team-leading 28 assists. Three Abilene Christian players finished with double-digit digs. Neely Borger led with six blocks on the afternoon.
 
The Colonels will travel to Hammond, La. for a battle against Southeastern at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, before returning home for the regular-season finale against McNeese State at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
 
Visit geauxcolonels.com to find live stats and the most up-to-date information on Nicholls women's volleyball.