Box Score FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Despite tough play and a great effort, tying the first set at 7-7, the Northwestern State volleyball team fell to Kansas 3-0 on Friday evening in their season opener at the Arkansas Invitational.
 
Kansas' Caroline Jarmoc ended with a game-high 12 kills. NSU sophomore Stacey DiFrancesco tallied a team-high 7 kills on 39 attacks while also digging up 8 balls.
 
On defense, KU's Brianne Riley recorded a game-high 24 digs while NSU's Keelie Arneson dug up nine balls.
 
“I think we did a pretty good job serving and I think our game got better with each set,” said co-head coach Hugh Hernesman. “Caiti O'Connell came in and had a nice third set with three kills and really helped out our offense.”
 
The Lady Demons started off keeping pace with the Jayhawks but lost their composure and dropped the first set 25-12.
 
In the second set, NSU fell behind early and struggled to come back, losing the set 25-14.
 
The third set saw the Lady Demons fight harder with nine kills but eventually falling 25-18.
 
“Our first contacts need to improve but I think our defensive system will work, we just need to make the plays that we have developed in practice,” said Hernesman. “We need to make more of the plays in transition and work a little bit more on counterattack.”
 
Northwestern State continues their play in the Arkansas Invitational with two matches tomorrow against host team, Arkansas, and Tennessee-Martin.