THIIBODAUX, La – The HBU women's volleyball team swept the Nichols Colonels 27-25, 28-26, 25-17 in Southland Conference volleyball action on inside of the David R. Stopher Gymnasium Saturday afternoon.
 
HBU (20-7, 11-2 SLC) junior right side Anna Gadway posted her third straight double-double and ninth overall with 11 kills and 11 digs and also added four block assists. Freshman outside hitter Alexia Jones had a big afternoon of her own, with seven kills and a team high 17 digs. Senior outside hitter Mikayla Vivens added nine kills, 14 digs and two block assists while senior middle blocker Jada Allen added seven kills and three blocks. Freshman middle blocker Audrey Pearce added 10 kills and six block assists while Sophomore iibero Kaley Feris had 16 digs. Junior setter Ellie Wipf set her teammates up for success all afternoon to the tune of 34 assists while also adding a kill and two block assists.
 
For the Colonels (9-15, 2-10 SLC), Emily Gauthreaux has nine kills and 10 digs, while Kyliie Lockhart added 21 digs. Devon Bright nearly had a double-double with seven kills and 10 digs, while Kate Hoerdemann added three kills and 14 digs. Lilly Bivens had 20 assists for the match.
 
The Huskies hit .154 for the match and were able to keep the Colonels to a .062 hitting percentage. HBU out dug the Nicholls 76-71, out blocked them 10-5, and out assisted them 41-29.
 
The Huskies got off to a fast start in the first set, winning four of the first five points including a kill by Pearce and several attacking errors on the Colonels. The teams would alternate points until the Huskies had a 16-15 lead and would win four of the next five points to take a 20-16 lead. After splitting the next six points, the Huskies served for the set leading 24-21. The Colonels showed fight by winning the next three points including two kills from Jones, to tie things up at 24. A kill from Vivens gave the Huskies another opportunity at set point which they lost to even the score up again at 25. The Colonels would commit attacking errors on the final two points to lose the set 27-25.
 
The second set was as tightly contested as the first. Both teams alternated points for the majority of the set before the Huskies took a 24-22 lead on a service error from Nicholls. Two huge blocks and a kill from Hoerdemann would give Nicholls an opportunity at set point leading 25-24. The Huskies would win four of the next five points to close out the second set including huge blocks from Vivens, Gadway, and Pearce. Vivens ace closed out the set for HBU.
 
The Colonels came out quick in the third set, winning six of the first nine points. The Huskies would go on one of their longest points streaks of the season winning the next seven points in a row which included kills from Gadway (1), Vivens (2), and Jones (2). Nicholls would work their way back into the set, going on a three point streak of their own to cut the Husky lead to 10-9. Both teams would keep things close until the Huskies took a 16-14 lead. The Huskies would win seven of the next eight points on big kills from Gadway and Vivens along with blocks from Wipf and Allen. The Huskies would win the third set following two service errors from Nicholls.
 
The Huskies conclude their regular season schedule next Thursday when they travel to McNeese take on the Cowgirls at 6:30 p.m. before returning home to Sharp Gym to host the Conference Championship beginning on November 18^th.