COMMERCE – The Nicholls Colonels downed the Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team, 3-1, on Thursday night in the Field House via set scores of 22-25, 25-23, 25-17, and 25-23.
 
The Colonels picked up their third straight win over the Lions. Nicholls only has two Southland Conference wins this season and both have come against A&M-Commerce. The Lions have lost six in a row to fall to 9-19 overall and 5-10 in conference play.
 
A&M-Commerce needs one more win or a loss by Nicholls to clinch its bid into the SLC Tournament. A&M-Commerce is tied for sixth in the conference standings with UIW.
 
The Lions started out the match by winning the first three points, all on attacking errors by the Colonels. Nicholls won its first point of the match on a Lion service error. Trailing 8-4, Nicholls pulled to within 10-8, but the Lions responded and never trailed in the set.
 
Nicholls tied the first set at 19, but the Lions won five of the next six to set up four set point opportunities. Nicholls spoiled two set points, but a kill by Reese Fetty (Farmersville) gave the first set to A&M-Commerce.
 
An 8-2 run in the second set put Nicholls ahead by a score of 9-4, despite A&M-Commerce winning the next three to pull to within two, Nicholls went back up by 11-7. Nicholls led 23-19, but the Lions stormed back on a 4-0 run to tie the set at 23. A Nicholls kill ended the scoring run and gave a set point to the Colonels and an ace by Autumn Perry gave Nicholls a 25-23 set win.
 
The Lions trailed 7-4 in the third set but went on a 3-0 run to tie the set. Nicholls won the next six points to take a 13-7 lead and force a Lion timeout. The Colonels led throughout the set and went on to win it, 25-17.
 
With the fourth set tied at 13, the Lions went on a 5-0 run to lead 18-13, but following a Nicholls timeout, the Colonels won eight of the next nine to go up by two. The Lions inched closer to extending the match at 23-22, but Nicholls, behind back-to-back kills from Gracie Campbell went up 24-23 and closed out the match on a Lion attacking error.
 
Kitana Tuufuli (St. Hedwig – Steele) had team-best 15 kills, while Essence Allen (Longview – Tatum) had 13 kills and eight digs. Fetty totaled 11 kills and seven digs.
 
Taylor Borden (Gregory-Portland) recorded 22 digs and Deja Benjamin (Pearland – Shadows Creek) picked up seven blocks. Breann Connally (Coolidge – Groesbeck) had 29 assists and Peyton Plant (Littleton, Colo.) had 15.
 
For Nicholls, Autumn Perry had a double-double with 17 kills and 14 digs, while Campbell picked up 14 kills and 15 digs for a double-double as well.


POST MATCH INTERVIEW
 
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The Lions host Houston Christian for the final home match of the season at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Prior to the match, the Lions will honor their graduating seniors.