Nicholls hits .299, serves up 10 aces and controls the net in a dominant 3-0 win over the Cardinals

THIBODAUX, La. — Nicholls volleyball put together one of its more complete performances of the season Wednesday night, sweeping Lamar in straight sets, 25-15, 25-14, 25-21, inside David R. Stopher Gymnasium.

The victory moved Nicholls to 8-8 overall and 1-2 in Southland Conference play, while Lamar dropped to 4-12 overall and 1-2 in league action.

From the opening set, the Colonels were the more efficient team offensively and made things difficult for Lamar with pressure from the service line and at the net.

Nicholls finished the night with 35 kills on 87 attacks and only nine errors, good for a .299 hitting percentage. Lamar managed 31 kills but committed 21 attacking errors, finishing at just .104 for the match.



Colonels Set the Tone Early

Nicholls immediately separated itself in the opening set.

The Colonels hit .250 with 11 kills while holding Lamar to a .032 percentage. The Cardinals had nine kills but committed eight attacking errors on 31 swings as Nicholls took the opener 25-15.

Things became even more one-sided in the second.

Nicholls delivered its best offensive set of the night, recording 14 kills with only one error on 30 attempts for a .433 hitting percentage. Lamar again struggled to find clean opportunities, hitting .086 with eight errors.

The result was another comfortable Nicholls win, 25-14, giving the Colonels complete control of the match.

Lamar showed more fight in the third set and hit .200, its best mark of the night. The Cardinals also forced more back-and-forth play, with the third set featuring 11 ties and six lead changes.

But Nicholls found the points it needed down the stretch.

The Colonels matched Lamar's .200 hitting percentage in the set and closed out the night with a 25-21 victory to complete the sweep.

Arrington Leads Balanced Attack

Kera Arrington led the Nicholls offense with 12 kills while committing only three errors on 18 attacks, finishing with an impressive .500 hitting percentage.

Maya Schirmer was another major factor, finishing with seven kills on 12 attacks and hitting .500. She also made her presence felt defensively with six blocks.

Amelie Shalfoon added six kills while hitting .429 and contributed four blocks, while Zahrah Edwards-Wyllie finished with three kills and four block assists.

That efficiency across the front line helped Nicholls finish with a significant advantage at the net.

Service Game Gives Lamar Problems

Nicholls also created separation from the service line, finishing with 10 aces compared to four for Lamar.

Madison Smith accounted for six of those aces by herself, consistently putting the Cardinals under pressure before they could get into their offense. Lizzie Kraft added two aces, while Harper Holden and Natalia Navarro each recorded one.

The combination of serving pressure and strong net play forced Lamar into difficult situations throughout the evening.

Nicholls finished with eight total blocks compared to just two for Lamar.

Defense and Setting Keep Colonels in Control

Natalia Navarro led the Nicholls defense with 13 digs, while Jenna Cicherski added eight and Isabella Padilla finished with seven.

Cicherski also led Nicholls with 17 assists, while Padilla added 10 and Navarro contributed five.

That distribution allowed Nicholls to avoid becoming dependent on one attacker. While Arrington led the way with 12 kills, the Colonels received production from several spots across the rotation.

Lamar was led offensively by Nisaan Martinez with 10 kills, while Gabrielle St Louis added nine. Katelyn Hughes recorded 15 assists and Alexa Gonzalez finished with 13.

A Needed Southland Win

After dropping their first two Southland matches, the Colonels needed a conference win, and they did much more than simply survive Wednesday night.

Nicholls controlled nearly every major area of the match.

The Colonels held the advantage in hitting percentage (.299 to .104), aces (10-4), blocks (8-2) and total points (53-37). Even when Lamar made a push in the third set, Nicholls answered and prevented the match from extending any further.

For a team trying to build momentum in Southland Conference play, it was exactly the type of performance Nicholls needed — efficient offensively, disruptive defensively and in control from start to finish.