Cowgirls Drop Four Match Set To La. Tech
LAKE CHARLES-- McNeese State's volleyball team dropped its first home match of the year here Tuesday night in a 3-1 loss to Louisiana Tech (25-8, 22-25, 25-27, 22-25). The loss drops the Cowgirls to 12-2 on the year while La. Tech improved to 10-6 overall.
McNeese Freshman Priscilla Massengale led all players with a career high 17 kills to go along with her 15 digs, two shy of tying her career high. Nicole Bowden added 14 kills to join Massengale in the double digit kill column. Bowden led all players with seven blocks, all assisted. Bowden and Whitney Ellisor led McNeese with three service aces apiece. Setter Sarah Cartie led all players with 42 assist and 16 digs. The 42 assists is the fourth time this season Cartie records over 40 assists.
After a 25-8 first set McNeese victory, it looked like the Cowgirls were headed for another straight set victory but La. Tech came from five points down the second set to tie it at 13 all on a McNeese error. The set would go back and forth which included seven ties after the 13-13 score. With the set tied 21 all, La. Tech scored the next three points on three consecutive Cowgirl errors for a 24-21 lead. After a point by the Cowgirls, La. Tech won the set on a KC Clayton kill to even the overall match at one set apiece.
The third set was almost a mirror image of the second set in the way the lead changed hands several time. With the Cowgirls trailing 19-22, Nicole Bowden made her presence known as she served an ace followed by an Erin Huckabay kill. Bowden teamed with Massengale to come up with a huge block to move the Cowgirls to within one point 21-22. Tech would score the next point for a 21-23 lead but Bowden would put down a kill before teaming with Cartie for a block assist to tie the set 23 all. McNeese would take a brief 25-24 lead on a kill by Bowden but a service error by McNeese would tie the set at 25 all. A kill by La. Tech's Kassia Pinto followed by a Cowgirl error would give La. Tech the set for a overall 2-1 lead.
Louisiana Tech jumped out to a 7-1 fourth set lead before McNeese fought back to tie the set at nine all. The score would tie two more times before La. Tech would outscore the Cowgirls 6-0 to take a 18-12 lead. McNeese made a comeback and got as close as two points 22-24 but following a La. Tech timeout, Nataliya Panova ended the match on a kill.
Louisiana Tech was led by Kara Jones' 10 klills and Pinto and Panova both contributed with nine apiece. Panova led the Bulldogs with 14 digs. Jones was credited with six blocks on the night including four block solos.
McNeese will begin Southland Conference play this weekend by hosting Northwestern State at 7 p.,m. Friday night and Central Arkansas at 4 p.m. Saturday.
