Stephen F. Austin
22-5, 10-1Southland
New Orleans
9-14, 3-8Southland
Powerful Offense, Timely Defense Push SFA Past UNO and to Top of SLC with 3-1 Win
10/26/2017 8:56:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Coleman puts down 17 kills, Redmond adds 16 as Ladyjacks moved into first place in Southland
NEW ORLEANS - For as much offense as the Stephen F. Austin volleyball team relied on Thursday night inside the Human Performance Center, it was a well-timed dose of front row defense that gave the Ladyjacks just what they needed for an eighth-straight victory.
Sophomores Danae Daron and Shayla Eagleton teamed up for a pair of big-time rejections that helped break a 22-22 tie in the fourth and junior Haley Coleman stepped up and delivered nine of her match-high 17 kills through the final frame to help the Ladyjacks survive an upset-minded New Orleans squad with a 3-1 win.
Each of the final two frames - both SFA wins - were decided by just two points, but by making all the right moves down the stretch the Ladyjacks exited New Orleans with another win under their belt and jumped ahead of Sam Houston State for the top spot in the Southland Conference standings. The Bearkats dropped a four-set decision in Natchitoches, La., to Northwestern State and trail SFA by a half game for the league lead.
In addition to the 17 kills by Coleman, fellow junior Peyton Redmond delivered a career-best 16 terminations and scooped up 11 digs to wrap up her first double-double effort of the season. Lexus Cain led the Ladyjacks' back-row effort with 16 digs, moving up to seventh in program history in career digs in the process. Daron submitted a line of 12 kills and five total blocks on the strength of a team-high .423 attack percentage.
On offense, the Ladyjacks hit at a clip of .318 and with an 8-4 advantage in blocks held New Orleans to an attack percentage of .250. Coleman kept the pressure on the Privateers from the service line as well by striking for a career-high four service aces. Her efforts helped SFA hold a 6-5 edge over their rivals from the Big Easy in that statistical category.
At no point in the opening set did the Privateers ever come up with a way to stop the Ladyjacks' high-powered offense. Through the frame, the visitors unloaded on New Orleans by hitting a staggering .800 with 20 kills while never committing an attack error.
Especially dangerous was Redmond who made a living finding open spaces on the far line. The junior was almost unstoppable, striking for eight kills on nine swings to pace the Ladyjack attack. All 11 of SFA's points on an 11-2 run to close the frame were kills and five of them came off the hands of Redmond.
SFA faced a reinvigorated New Orleans squad the rest of the way and would not be able to ease past the Privateers as they did in the first frame. The hosts began the second frame by capturing three of the first four scores and upped their lead to 10-8 following an attack error by Makenzee Hanna.
Following that miscue, Coleman started a run of six-straight SFA points with a kill and a service ace that pushed the visitors ahead 14-10. New Orleans battled back with a trio of kills which tied the set at 18-18.
Poised to open up a 2-0 lead following Hollas' first service ace of the tilt which made matters 20-18 in favor of the visitors, the Ladyjacks fell victim to an ill-timed New Orleans run. The Privateers closed the frame on a 7-1 surge, getting four kills, two blocks and a service ace to knot the match at one set each.
Four of the first five points of the third went to the visitors before the Privateers generated four kills as part of a 5-2 run to tie things at 6-6. That tie was the second of six in a hotly contested frame as both teams jostled for control of the match.
Out of that 6-6 tie, the Privateers reeled off three more points to go on top 9-6. That New Orleans advantage lasted until the late stages of the frame when the Ladyjacks made their move. Trailing 21-19, SFA used a New Orleans service error and Coleman's third ace of the match to pull even at 21.
Moments later, and deadlocked at 22-22, Daron and Redmond delivered the finishing blow for the Ladyjacks by generating one kill each as part of a 3-1 SFA run to close the set and give the visitors a 2-1 lead.
Seeking to tie the match at two sets apiece, New Orleans started the fourth and final frame with an ace and two kills before four Ladyjacks pounded down a kill as part of a 7-3 run which handed the visitors their first lead of the set.
Remaining in control, SFA held off New Orleans' first charge of the set by breaking a 12-12 tie with a 4-0 run culminating with kills from Redmond and Hanna. Coleman slammed home consecutive kills to end a 3-0 SFA scoring spree which gave the visitors a 20-17 lead before the Privateers made things interesting.
After another Coleman termination made it 21-18 SFA, the Ladyjacks committed a pair of attack errors and in conjunction with a Rondolyn Bryant kill and service ace from Andrea Nava UNO jumped in front by a 22-21 tally.
Out of SFA's timeout, the Ladyjacks got their block figured out and aided by Coleman's finishing touches on the attack were able to get out with a win.
Kyra Hunter led a trio of Privateers kill leaders with a team-best 13. Blessing Dunn (12) and Lane Hindenburg (10) put down double-digit kills as well while the former added 14 digs for a double-double effort.
Now in the top spot in the Southland Conference standings for the first time this season, SFA now shifts its attention to staying there when they head to Hammond, La. On Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m., the Ladyjacks will take on Southeastern Louisiana.
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