Box Score

NATCHITOCHES – Trailing 24-20 in the first set, the Northwestern State volleyball team reeled off the next six points in a row to win the opening frame, and then used a monster performance from Stacey DiFrancesco to cruise to a straight set victory over Nicholls State on Saturday at Prather Coliseum – 26-24, 25-16 and 25-19.

 

“We definitely came together as a team today, especially after winning that first set. It was a huge momentum boost and it carried us through the rest of the match,” said DiFrancesco, a freshman from The Woodlands, Texas.

 

The victory for NSU (10-19, 6-10) over Nicholls State (18-14, 5-11) clinches a berth next weekend in the Southland Conference Tournament.

 

“We knew coming in we had to win and were confident because we knew we had already beaten Nicholls this season,” said co-head coach Hugh Hernesman. “We had more weapons, and more firepower which helped us execute the game-plan offensively.”

 

DiFrancesco finished with her 19^th double-double of the season with 20 kills, 11 digs and a career-high hitting percentage of .326. The 20 kills is also a career-best in a three-set match.

 

“Stacey made a huge difference in the match,” Hernesman said. “Stacey is really competitive and has a lot of fire to her. She made sure the team kept the intensity up the whole way.”

 

Kelly Jimenez recorded her 10^th double-double of the season with 13 kills (.265) and 10 digs.

 

“Kelly has been really steady for us all season. She had some really crucial digs in the second set to help us keep runs going,” Hernesman said. “Kelly is coming off an injury from last week, and after a full-week of practice this week she was especially great in the service-receive game.”

 

Vanessa Coleman, Mackenzie Neely and Nicole Hajka also propelled the offense with 10 (.259), seven (.364) and six kills (.333), respectively.

 

Emily Sweet dished out a match-high 45 assists, and also dug up seven.

 

“Sweet did a great job of getting our players in the right spots to be successful,” Hernesman said.

 

On defense, Keelie Arneson registered a match-high 21 digs, while Jessica Guttierrez scooped up seven.

 

“Keelie was going after everything today and really played great,” Hernesman said. “Her defense was another huge factor in the match and really made a difference for us.”

For Nicholls, Jennifer Brandt led the team with nine kills, 12 digs and a .450 hitting percentage. Jordan Karst tallied a double-double with 16 assists and 10 digs.

 

The first set didn't start the way NSU planned, down 9-1. After a 5-1 run, the Lady Demons had cut the deficit to 15-11 after a couple kills by DiFrancesco, but the Colonels defense was giving in and Nicholls extended its lead to 19-13.

 

NSU found itself down 20-24 when it flipped the switch and went on the decisive run of the match. It all started with a kill by DiFrancesco, and then she followed it up with an ace to make it 22-24. Then after a kill by Neely, a miscue by the Colonels tied it, 24-24. Another ace by DiFrancesco gave the Lady Demons their first lead of the set, and then a kill by Hajka finished it, 26-24.

 

NSU took the final six points in the first and improved its first-set record on the season to 19-10.

 

DiFrancesco led the way in the frame with seven kills, while Arneson dug up 12. Tremendous defense kept NSU in the set, as Jimenez also had six digs, while Sweet and Guttierrez each had four.

 

“We were full on confidence in this match, especially after the first set. After that comeback, the team was just ready to win,” said Coleman, a freshman from Bloomington, Ill.

 

NSU was up 7-6 in the second when it went on a modest 3-1 run to get ahead, 10-7. Nicholls came back to tie it 13-13, but again the Lady Demons turned on the jets and took five in a row after four spikes by DiFrancesco made it 18-13. Still leading 21-16, NSU finished the second in similar fashion, running away with the final four points to win 25-16 when a good set by Arneson aided DiFrancesco's crushing attack.

 

DiFrancesco hammered 10 kills in the second and hit at an astounding .625 mark. As a team, the Lady Demons hit .526, including four kills from Coleman (.667) and Hajka (.800).

 

The teams were even much of the third set, going back-and-forth to a 16-16 stalemate. Neely then sparked a 5-0 run with a couple kills, and got the Lady Demons ahead, 21-16. NSU was not going to be denied after this, and ended the final two points with kills from Coleman and Jimenez, 25-19.

 

Jimenez had her biggest set of the season in the third, slamming nine kills and hit at a .571 mark.

 

“It's really big for this program to get to the conference tournament this season with such a young team and not even having a senior,” Hernesman said. “Making the tournament was one of our goals at the beginning of the year and is a really big step for us.”  

 

NSU will take on top-seeded Texas State on Friday at 4 p.m. in the first round of the Southland Conference Tournament in Conway, Ark.