LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana – The Huskies fall to the Cowgirls in straight sets after forcing extra points in the first and third sets (25-27, 13-25, 25-27). HCU battled fellow conference foe, McNeese, at Legacy Center but couldn't hold off the Cowgirls handing the Huskies their first sweep of the conference season.

The Huskies claimed the first three points of the opening set before the Cowgirls answered back tying the game at 3-3. HCU retook the lead off three straight errors by McNeese but the Cowgirls reclaimed the lead, 7-6, on a four-point run. In a back-and-forth stretch through the middle of set one, Audrey Pearce and Sara Arroyo recorded multiple kills to tie the game at 17-17. McNeese claimed five of the next six points to claim a, 23-18, lead but the Huskies came roaring back with a three-point run bookended with kills by Arroyo. The Cowgirls held set point at 24-22 before HCU tallied three-straight points ending in back-to-back kills by Anna Gadway. McNeese would capture the final three points of the set and claim set one, 27-25.

In set two, the Cowgirls got off to a hot start clinging to a 7-2 lead before the Huskies tied the game at 9-9 with a kill by Arroyo. McNeese answered by scoring 10 of the next 12 points cruising to a 25-16 win in the second set.

With their backs against the wall, the Huskies tied the game at 4-4 with an Alexia Jones' ace before the Cowgirls claimed an 11-6 lead. HCU would tie the game at 14-14 off a four-point run capped off with an ace by Mollee Henicke. The Huskies claimed their first lead since the opening set, 16-15, off back-to-back points starting with a kill by Gadway before the Cowgirls retook the lead at 18-16. With McNeese forcing match point at 24-22, HCU tied the set at 25-25 starting with a kill by Pearce forcing extra points. The Cowgirls closed out the match scoring the final two points of the decisive third set to win the set, 27-25.

The Huskies were led by Arroyo with 10 kills while Pearce added nine kills and three blocks. Grace McLaughlin recorded a double-double dishing out 17 assists along with 10 digs. HCU was led defensively by Jones with 11 digs and Kaley Feris added nine digs to the back line.

McNeese was led by Carissa Chainey with 14 kills and two blocks. Megan Grose dished out 39 assists and five digs. The Cowgirls were led defensively by Bailey Tillman with 21 digs while Kendall Osgood added 17 digs.

The Huskies will return to Sharp Gym for White Out game matching up against Southland leader Southeastern on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.