Nicholls at home versus UNO, on road at Houston Christian to close out volleyball season

The Nicholls volleyball team closes out the regular season with a pair of games, one at home and the other on the road.

Up first for Nicholls is a home match slated for 6:30 p.m. Thursday against the University of New Orleans. The Lady Colonels conclude the season when they travel to Houston Christian University to take on the Huskies at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Nicholls goes into the week 2-14 in the Southland and 4-22 overall. UNO is 4-12 in the conference and 6-21 overall. Houston Christian is 11-5 in the SLC and 16-12 overall.

The Lady Colonels are coming off a two-game Texas road swing that saw Nicholls defeat Texas A&M-Commerce 22-25, 25-23, 25-17, 25-23, and falling at Lamar 20-25, 15-25, 25-20, 20-25.

In an ironic twist, Nicholls has defeated Commerce twice for its only two wins of the season in the Southland. Lamar has captured its only two victories on the year by sweeping Nicholls.

Thursday’s Nicholls-UNO match will mark the final home match for middle blocker Jhayla Bolden, the team’s only senior.

For the season, Bolden has 84 kills and 66 blocks.

In the earlier meeting between Nicholls and the Privateers in New Orleans, the Lady Colonels took the opening set before eventually dropping the final three in falling 25-17, 19-25, 19-25, 18-25.

Nicholls used a 7-0 run to build a 15-5 lead on the way to the win in the first set.

The HCU match represents the season coming full circle for the Lady Colonels.

After opening the season by playing 10 matches on the road, Nicholls finally played in Thibodaux to take on the Huskies in a game that was also the Southland Conference opener.

Nicholls lost in three sets, 25-27-18-25, 21-25.

With the score tied 25-25 in the opening game but needing to win by two to capture the game, HCU pulled ahead on a kill by Lexie Temple. A kill by Sara Arroyo off an assist by Grace McLaughlin gave the Huskies the victory.

In the second and third games of the match, HCU built a bit of a spread before the Lady Colonels rallied before ultimately falling.

Trailing 21-24 in the third game, the match ended on a service error by Paris Dixon.