NATCHITOCHES – The Northwestern State volleyball team has flashed its ability to recover quickly in a handful of matches this season.
The Lady Demons will have a chance to show their ability to rebound on a more long-term basis when they host Southland Conference foe Incarnate Word at 1 p.m. Saturday in Prather Coliseum, wrapping up a two-match homestand.
Admission to all NSU volleyball matches is free, thanks to the sponsorship of Red River Mill Federal Credit Union.
NSU (8-11, 3-1) saw its three-match win streak end in a 3-0 sweep at the hands of defending conference champion Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Thursday. With the typical quick turnaround between conference matches, Northwestern State's ability to compartmentalize and move past its struggles.
"So far this year, we've had some setbacks, and they have turned around and done exactly what we've needed them to do to come back and win the next one and put us in a position where we're moving forward," second-year coach
Sean Kiracofe said. "This will be a big test for us on how we respond to losing a tough match."
Incarnate Word (5-10, 1-2) opened its conference season with a win at Central Arkansas on Sept. 1 but has dropped its past two conference matches – at Stephen F. Austin and at home against Abilene Christian.
The Cardinals feature one of the top outside hitters in the conference, sophomore Autumn Lockley, who ranks second in the league in kills per set (3.48). Northwestern State freshman
Alexis Warren sits eighth in that category at 2.91.
Lockley, a preseason All-Southland Conference first-team selection, has helped open the middle for Bryaunea Hall, who ranks second on the team with 99 kills and second in hitting percentage at .236.
"Both middles at UIW (Hall and Maddie Slaughter) are very athletic and can score a lot of points," Kiracofe said. "It is going to be difficult on our middles. I'd rather them struggle (against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) and not Saturday. Hopefully, (the match against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) is a nice wake-up call for them and they come back and fight really hard to play well on Saturday."
