NATCHITOCHES, La. -- The Nicholls State University volleyball program (2-11, 2-10 SLC) closed out the 2021 spring campaign Saturday afternoon with a forfeit victory at rival Northwestern State (2-12, 0-12 SLC), clinching the team's second win of the season at Prather Coliseum in Natchitoches, La. Earlier on Thursday evening, the Colonels dropped a tough road match at Central Arkansas (10-7, 8-4 SLC), faltering by a final 3-1 margin to the Sugar Bears at the Farris Center in Conway, Ark.

Despite the Colonels adhering to NCAA and Southland Conference COVID-19 guidelines throughout the course of the roadtrip, the Lady Demons opted to cancel the contest. Due to the league scheduling parameters, however, the Red & Gray's readiness to compete with the required number of players resulted in a forfeit victory for Nicholls, a first for the program.

KEY STORYLINES & STATISTICS -- at Central Arkansas (L 1-3)
-- Despite the Colonels getting off to a bumpy start (25-9 first set loss), Nicholls managed to put together a solid recovery en route to a four-point loss in the second frame before swiping a two-point victory to close out the third. Central Arkansas, however, never allowed the Red & Gray to force a decisive fifth, regrouping for a 11-point win the fourth and the 3-1 match victory.
-- Individually, junior Aaliyah Burras posted the team's top overall performance as the middle blocker collected 10 kills along with seven blocks. Senior Kate Hoerdemann along with junior Emily Gauthreaux combined for 11 kills on the match as well.
-- Flying under the radar, senior Meghan Wozniak paced the Red & Gray with another decent showing as the squad's primary setter, notching 14 overall, while sophomore Lilly Bivens contributed 10 of her own.
-- On the defensive end, junior Kylie Lockhart handled a majority of the team's dig responsibilities, collecting a squad-best 23 on the night; additionally, Burras' seven blocks along with six from both senior Lydia Frederick and freshman Yani Johnson set the tone at the net as the Colonels logged a season-high 26, outpacing the 22 Nicholls composed against Lamar earlier this month.
 
UP NEXT
With the Colonels eliminated from a potential visit to the Southland Conference Tournament, the Red & Gray immediately move into their "usual" offseason schedule in preparation for the fall's upcoming 2021 campaign. Notably, many members of the indoor squad will shift into a shortened beach volleyball season, as competition kicks off soon within the month.

STAY SOCIAL
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