LAKE CHARLES – The Northwestern State Demons' volleyball team plays the second of a brief two-game Southland Conference road trip Saturday afternoon against the McNeese Cowgirls.

The Demons (12-10, 4-3 SLC) are coming off a 3-0 win at Nicholls, in which they hit .311 with 44 kills and just 11 errors. It was the second straight game NSU had an over. 300 hit percentage as they hit. 318 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Demons were led by Elsie Sanchez with 13 kills while Elizabeth Mugurza Rebollo had a career-high 10. Senior Jade Longlad had 33 assists while sophomore Emmarie McFarland had 17 digs to help hold the Colonels to a .112 hitting percentage.

NSU's offense is paced by Sanchez who is third in the Southland Conference in total kills (249) and kills per set (3.41). Longlad is tied for the league lead in assists per set (9.58) with UT-Rio Grande Valley's Lana Rnjak. McFarland is tied for second in the Southland in digs per set with 4.68 and leads the league in totals digs (370).

The Cowgirls (7-11, 3-4 SLC) are coming off a thrilling win at home over the East Texas A&M Thursday night 15-13 in the fifth set. McNeese, who jumped out to a two-set lead, was led by Gabbie Maldonado who had 16 kills to help the Cowgirls hold off a comeback bid from the Lions.

"They run a 6-2 and have a very consistent attack," said Demon head coach Ben Kaszeta. "They try to do everything they can through their right sides. So, their right sides are a little bit harder to defend because the attack almost looks like a left-hander. It's vastly different to Nicholls who ran everything from the outside, but we'll be ready for it."

Maldonado, a junior, leads the way offensively for the Cowgirls with 176 kills and 2.84 kps. Defensively, Sophia Tocmo (libero/defensive specialist) has 329 digs (5.31 dps) which leads the Southland.

As for the head-to-head, NSU has lost five straight to the Cowgirls and is eyeing their first win over McNeese in Lake Charles since Sept. 24, 2022, when the Demons beat the Cowgirls in five sets.

NSU is seeking back-to-back road wins conference for the first time since Oct. 21 and Oct. 26 of 2023 when it won at Nicholls and Lamar.

Fans can follow the game live on ESPN+. Live Stats will also be available at NSUDemons.com.