AUBURN, Ala. -- Bolstered by notably strong individual performances from seniors Aaliyah Burras (26 kills, 9 blocks) and Kylie Lockhart (49 digs), the Nicholls State University indoor volleyball program (7-5, 0-0 SLC) impressed throughout a the team's War Eagle Invitational opener with Belmont (2-8, 0-0 OVC) before faltering by slim margins in the final two contests of the tournament against host Auburn (8-1, 0-0 SEC) and Florida A&M (8-4, 0-0 SWAC), all at Auburn Arena in Auburn, Ala.

KEY STORYLINES & STATISTICS
GAME ONE vs. Belmont (W 3-0) -- Friday, Sept. 17
-- The Colonels kicked off the tournament with some serious fire, powering past an outmatched Belmont squad en route to a clean straight-sets sweep.
-- Individually, senior Aaliyah Burras along with junior Devon Bright set the tone offensively, collecting a joint 14 kills between them with the former adding six total blocks. Further, senior Kylie Lockhart notched a team-best 21 digs as well, helping the Red & Gray contain the Bruins to just 20 kills for the match.

GAME TWO at Auburn (L 1-3) -- Friday, Sept. 17
-- In spite of back-to-back rough sets to open the contest (25-8, 25-15), Nicholls proved more than capable of matching wits against the Tigers, fighting back to a third-set victory (28-26) before dropping the fourth frame en route to an Auburn victory.
-- Individually, Burras once again earned the top spot in the stat book, driving home 10 kills while generating two blocks as well. Flying under the radar, junior Lilly Bivens impressed as the Red & Gray's ace setter, earning a double-double behind a 14-assist, 16-dig showing.
-- In a notably solid defensive outing, senior Emily Gauthreaux put together a career-high 23 digs in a team-best performance; meanwhile, Lockhart ranked second in the category as the Texas native dug out 16 balls for the match.

GAME THREE vs. Florida A&M (L 0-3) -- Saturday, Sept. 18
-- In easily the most hard-fought matchup of the tournament, the Colonels battled back-and-forth with a competitive Florida A&M squad, falling in the first and third sets by just four points as well as just two in the second frame.
-- Individually, Gauthreaux clinched her third double-double of the season behind an 11-kill, 11-dig showcase while Burras and Bright combined for a joint 15 kills; meanwhile, Bivens led the way in the passing game, posting 29 total assists for the day.
-- Defensively, Bright logged a squad-best 14 digs while Lockhart added 12 of her own.
 
UP NEXT
With a successful preseason firmly in the rearview mirror, the Colonels advance to Southland competition on Saturday, Sept. 25 against in-state rival New Orleans, hosting an 11 a.m. clash with the Privateers at Stopher Gym.

STAY SOCIAL
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