NATCHITOCHES – Amanda Kunz made Saturday's Family Day match against Nicholls one to remember for her parents.
 
Kunz turned in the third-best, single-match hitting percentage in Northwestern State volleyball history, collecting 11 kills on 14 attempts without an error, to pace a 3-0 sweep of Nicholls at Prather Coliseum.
 
"We did a good job of mixing it up," Kunz said. "If I ran a 3 or an A, (the outside hitters) would push it back, and it left a lot of open looks for them and for me."
 
Kunz' .786 hitting percentage slots in behind Vanessa Coleman's .875 mark against Alcorn State in 2011 and the .800 posted by Shera Dowell against UL Lafayette in 1992. It ranks just ahead of teammate Glynna Johnson's .778 against Washington State on Sept. 18.
 
The 11 kills tied Kunz' season high, set in the season opener against Tennessee State on Aug. 28.
 
Behind Kunz' career-best day, Northwestern State (3-12, 1-1 Southland) ended a 10-match losing streak and evened its conference record. Nicholls fell to 5-9 overall and 0-2 in conference play.
 
NSU's efficient performance – it hit .292 as a team – came two days after McNeese State came to Prather Coliseum and swept the home team.
 
"The difference was a challenge yesterday and today to come out and protect home court," first-year coach Sean Kiracofe said. "It's something we've talked about this year. It's something they put on their goals for conference. It's something we've been able to do in past seasons. We obviously did not do that Thursday. It was a challenge to them and they obviously responded well."
 
Kunz and Johnson combined for 17 kills on 27 attempts with one error between them. The focus on involving the middle blockers offensively came one match after Kiracofe said his team did not involve them enough.
 
Another key change for Northwestern State came in the first set. A back-and-forth affair marked the second straight match where the first set needed more than 25 points to determine a winner.
 
This time, Northwestern State outlasted the Colonels, claiming a 29-27 first-set victory that placed the momentum squarely on the home bench.
 
"Getting out of the first set with a win was great," said junior setter Natalie Jaeger, who finished with 20 assists and seven digs. "It gave us the boost of confidence that we needed to go and play well in the second and third sets and show people who we really are as a team."
 
In addition to Kunz and Johnson, Lauren Agan delivered 10 kills while freshmen Channing Burleson and Reagan Rogers combined for 10 more kills as outside hitters.
 
"(The middles) have been a real strong point for us offensively," Kiracofe said. "To get them back in the mix and to rely on them heavily, which makes it easier for our pin attackers and our back row, it was good to see."
 
Kunz added a pair of block solos as Northwestern State tallied nine total blocks, helping limit Nicholls to a .141 hitting percentage.
 
Northwestern State returns to action Tuesday at 7 p.m. when it hosts Sam Houston State in the finale of a three-match Southland Conference homestand.