Tournament Central

LAFAYETTE, La. – Junior Brieanna Hill fired a career-high 18 kills as the Nicholls State University volleyball squad picked up its first win of the 2017 season Saturday against Mississippi Valley State University at Earl K. Long Gym.
 
Hill added 11 digs to convert her second double-double of the event. Senior Stephanie Tobison totaled 18 digs and 10 kills to achieve the same feat.

Tobison and Hill spearheaded the team with 36 and 35 kills, respectively, over the course of the tournament. Tobison was named to the all-tournament team. Freshman Imanie Williams also had an impressive showing, striking 21 kills on a team-high .250 attacking percentage.

Sophomore setter-turned-libero Emily Venable registered 70 digs over the weekend at 5.8 digs per set, increasing her output in each match. Consequently, the Gonzales native turned in a career-high 27 against the Devilettes (0-4).

The turning point in the opening frame came at 13 apiece when the Colonels (1-5) tallied three consecutive points on kills from Hill and Williams followed by an ace from senior Sydney Lerille. Nicholls never lost the lead from that point as MVSU concluded the set with back-to-back attacking errors at 23-19.

The Colonels were ahead 12-10 in the second when they rattled off 13 in a row with the help of two kills and a solo block from sophomore Kaitlyn Coffey.

After dropping the third set 25-22, Nicholls scored 10 of the first 12 points in the fourth en route to a wire-to-wire win. Williams notched five kills in the period on a .625 (5-0-8) clip.

The Colonels return to action Friday in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Collegiate Volleyball Classic. Nicholls opens with Oklahoma Friday at 4 p.m. and concludes with host Tulane and Southern Miss Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., respectively. All matches will be played at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse.

For the latest news on Nicholls volleyball, follow the team on Twitter @Nicholls_VB.