STWF Sports | NEW ORLEANS | October 10, 2026 — LSU New Orleans battled back after a difficult opening set, but the Privateers could not sustain enough momentum to overcome McNeese in a 3-1 Southland Conference loss Saturday at the Human Performance Center.
The Cowgirls claimed the match by set scores of 25-11, 25-27, 25-16 and 25-21, using balanced offense and several timely scoring runs to keep LSU New Orleans from completing a comeback.
The Privateers were put under pressure immediately.
McNeese opened the first set with a 7-2 run and took advantage of a series of LSU New Orleans attack and service errors. The Privateers committed 13 combined attacking and serving errors in the opening frame, allowing the Cowgirls to build separation early and cruise to a 25-11 win.
Privateers Answer in Second Set
LSU New Orleans responded with much better execution in the second.
The Privateers scored four straight points to take an early 7-3 lead and played with more control throughout the set. McNeese stayed within striking distance, but LSU New Orleans consistently found ways to protect its advantage.
The set tightened late, with the Privateers unable to convert on their first two opportunities at set point.
That is when Armie Hall took over.
Hall delivered kills on back-to-back rallies to close out the 27-25 victory, evening the match at one set apiece and giving LSU New Orleans renewed momentum.
McNeese Regains Control
The third set was competitive early.
The teams traded points through much of the opening half before Hall tied the score at 12-12 with another kill.
From there, McNeese took control.
The Cowgirls closed the set on a decisive 13-4 run, turning a tight battle into a 25-16 victory. Five different McNeese players recorded a kill during the stretch, underscoring the depth and balance of the Cowgirls’ attack.
That run gave McNeese a 2-1 match lead heading into the fourth.
Late Rally Falls Short
The Cowgirls carried that momentum into the final set, jumping ahead 10-5.
LSU New Orleans responded with a strong push and cut the deficit to one at 16-15 following a tandem block from Derin Nur Aydin and Ava Frerman.
That was as close as the Privateers would get.
McNeese answered by winning the next three rallies, creating enough separation to stay in front the rest of the way and close out the match with a 25-21 fourth-set victory.
Hall Leads Privateer Offense
Hall turned in the strongest offensive performance for LSU New Orleans, finishing with 18 kills while hitting .318.
Laura Piva added eight kills and five digs, while Frerman, Nyakuak Lual and Elani Ratchkovska each contributed six kills.
Lual also made an impact at the net with six total blocks, while Defne Eciroglu finished with 25 assists and six digs.
McNeese countered with a balanced attack that featured four players in double figures in kills.
Harmony Jackson led the Cowgirls with 12 kills, while Gabbie Maldonado and Kayla Wilson each added 11. Ava Henry finished with 10 kills.
Defensively, Sophia Tocmo led McNeese with 19 digs.
For LSU New Orleans, the match featured a strong response after a rough opening set, but McNeese’s ability to string together runs in the third and fourth ultimately proved decisive.
The Privateers showed stretches of effective offense and improved composure, particularly in the second set, but will look to turn those stretches into more sustained execution as Southland Conference play continues.
