Final Stats 1 | Final Stats 2 HATTIESBURG, Miss. – After a dominant performance against Southern in the opening match of the Southern Miss Invitational, the Nicholls State University women's volleyball team split on Saturday, downing Mercer, 3-2, in the morning before falling to the host team, 3-0, in the nightcap.
 
Following the conclusion of the tournament, junior outside hitter Kayla Mashburn and freshman outside hitter Anna Niederhauser were each selected to the All-Tournament team in recognition of their outstanding performances over the weekend.
 
In the first match of the day the Colonels had their hands full against a strong Bears squad, going toe-to-toe over a five-set marathon. Mercer, who defeated the Golden Eagles on Friday, won Saturday's opening set in a back-and-forth 28-26 effort. Nicholls responded and set the tone for the rest of the match with a 25-23 answer in the second set. The Colonels took the third set, 25-21, to secure a 2-1 set lead over Mercer, but the Bears fought back, earning a 25-20 win in the forth to extend the match. Leading 7-6 in the final frame, Nicholls caught fire, scoring eight unanswered points to run away with the set and seal the victory.
 
Mashburn paced the Colonels with 18 kills and 13 digs against Mercer. Niederhauser filled the stat sheet with 14 kills, 11 digs, and team-highs in both blocks (four) and service aces (four). Alyse Barclay and Ainsley Marroccoli finished with 23 and 19 assists respectively. Kali Schwartz added 14 kills and Stephanie Tobison recorded 13 digs in the win.
 
The Colonels were unable to maintain their momentum in the tournament-finale as Southern Miss jumped on top early. The Golden Eagles cruised through the first set with a 25-9 victory and took the second set, 25-17. Nicholls fought back in the third, desperately seeking to extend the contest, but Southern Miss closed out the set and the match with a 25-23 win.
 
The Colonels were their own worst enemy against the Golden Eagles, totaling 22 attack errors with just 29 kills. Nicholls averaged 17 attack errors and 45 kills over the first two matches in the tournament.
 
Mashburn led the Colonels offensively against Southern Miss with 10 kills in match. Niederhauser was second on the team with seven kills and added five digs. Tobison paced the squad with 15 digs and Marroccoli had a team-leading 15 assists.
 
Nicholls will next head down the road to Lafayette for the Sawyer Camillo Memorial Volleyball Classic. The Colonels will open the tournament against the University of Houston on Friday, Sept. 4 at 5 p.m., before taking on Louisiana-Lafayette and Jackson State on Saturday.
 
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