Box Score

NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State outblocked Lamar 10-8, but fell in four sets Thursday evening in Prather Coliseum – 29-27, 25-19, 22-25 and 25-23.

 

Stacey DiFrancesco led the NSU (6-14, 3-5) offense with a match-high 21 kills, including seven in the third set, and posted a career-high hitting percentage of .286. She also tallied her sixth straight double-double, digging up 12 attacks from Lamar (7-15, 5-2).

 

“Stacey's performance, especially in the third set, was textbook outside hitting,” said co-head coach Hugh Hernesman. “She was moving the ball around to different spots and played with really good vision.”

 

Nicole Hajka recorded a season-best in kills with nine while hitting at an impressive .381 mark.

 

“Nicole is always ready for us on the right side,” Hernesman said. “When she is hot she is really effective for us and tonight she got a some really good looks.”

 

Vanessa Coleman slammed seven and matched her career-high with six blocks. Kelly Jimenez, Mackenzie Neely and Emily Sweet each recorded two blocks to give NSU the edge in that category.

 

“Vanessa can play high above the net and is just a really good athlete,” Hernesman said. “Our outside blockers also did a good job of lining up our hitters, and put Vanessa in a great position to get some of those blocks.”

 

Sweet also aided much of the attack as she matched her career-high with 47 assists, while Keelie Arneson anchored the defense with 18 digs.

 

The first set started evenly with the score tied 11-11. A kill by Sweet then sparked a 5-0 run with Hajka serving to go up 16-11. The Lady Demons then led 20-14 after a kill by DiFrancesco, but the Cardinals went on a 9-3 spurt to tie it, 23-23.

 

NSU then trailed 24-23, 25-24 and 26-25 but saved all three set points to keep it tied at 26-26. NSU then earned a set point at 27-26 after another finish by Sweet, but Lamar responded by taking the next three and the set, 29-27.

 

DiFrancesco propelled the offense in the first set with a game-high six kills (.333). Neely also looked good with four kills (.429) and a block. Arneson recorded six digs in the set.

 

After Lamar won the second frame, 25-19, NSU came out of the break on fire and used three kills by DiFrancesco to grab a 10-5 advantage. The teams then exchanged points and the Lady Demons stayed ahead 21-16 after kills by Neely and Hajka. The Cardinals got close when they cut the deficit to 23-20, but Coleman then pounded a kill and NSU was able to finish it, 25-22.

 

The Lady Demons kept it going in the fourth, leading 11-6 after three kills by Jimenez. They were still ahead, 15-10, when Lamar went on a 7-2 run to tie it 17-17. Still tied 19-19, the Cardinals broke open a 23-20 lead, forcing NSU to call timeout. The Lady Demons then saved a pair of match points to cut the lead to 24-23, but an attack error by NSU ended it, 25-23.

 

“Last year when we played Lamar we didn't have many answers. Lamar controlled both the matches and it wasn't really that competitive,” Hernesman said. “Today I felt we did have control at times, and even though we didn't finish in the end I was still encouraged to see that. I feel we've upgraded our talent and it's just nice to see us battle against a program that's consistently in the top third of our conference.”

 

The Lady Demons will play at home again on Saturday when they host McNeese State at noon at Prather Coliseum on Breast Cancer Awareness day. Fans will be encouraged to wear pink, and baseball player Jordan Buckley will be selling t-shirts to support the American Cancer Society.