TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Nicholls State University volleyball team opened play at the Crimson Tide Invitational on Friday with a split, defeating Southern University in five sets before falling to Jacksonville State in four.
The Colonels opened the day with a 3-2 victory over Southern, winning 21-25, 25-19, 25-19, 21-25 and 15-10. Nicholls then took the opening set against Jacksonville State before the Gamecocks responded to earn a 3-1 win, 17-25, 25-23, 25-22 and 25-19.
The split moved Nicholls to 7-6 overall on the season.
Nicholls Outlasts Southern in Five Sets
Nicholls was forced to battle from behind early against Southern after dropping the opening set, 25-21.
The Colonels responded with back-to-back 25-19 victories in the second and third sets to take control of the match. Southern answered with a 25-21 win in the fourth to force a deciding fifth set.
Nicholls finished strong, taking the final set 15-10 to secure the victory.
Kera Arrington led the Colonels offensively with 15 kills, while Zahrah Edwards-Wyllie added 12 and Madison Smith finished with 11.
Smith also made an impact from the service line with three aces, while Harper Holden led Nicholls at the net with five blocks.
Isabella Padilla directed the Colonel offense with 34 assists while also adding 12 digs. Natalia Navarro led Nicholls defensively with 19 digs, while Smith added 11.
Nicholls finished with a 58-54 advantage in kills and hit .158 compared to Southern’s .116. Both teams recorded four service aces and eight blocks, while Southern held an 81-71 advantage in digs.
Strong Start Against Jacksonville State
Nicholls carried its momentum into the second match of the day, putting together a dominant opening set against Jacksonville State.
The Colonels hit .367 in the first set, recording 15 kills with only four errors on 30 attempts, on their way to a 25-17 victory.
Jacksonville State answered in the second set, edging Nicholls 25-23 to even the match.
The Gamecocks followed with a 25-22 victory in the third before closing out the match with a 25-19 win in the fourth.
Madison Smith led the Nicholls attack with a match-high 20 kills. Holden and Arrington each added seven kills.
Holden and Maya Schirmer each finished with four blocks, while Padilla led the Colonels with two service aces.
Nicholls used multiple setters throughout the match, with Jenna Cicherski recording 23 assists and Padilla adding 11.
Navarro again paced the defense with 15 digs.
Despite the loss, Nicholls finished with more kills than Jacksonville State, 49-44, and recorded the better hitting percentage, .213 to .196.
Jacksonville State held advantages in service aces, 10-6, blocks, 9-8, and digs, 47-44.
Smith Leads Productive Day for Colonels
Smith was one of the biggest offensive contributors for Nicholls throughout the opening day of the Crimson Tide Invitational.
She combined for 31 kills across the two matches, including 20 against Jacksonville State. Arrington added 22 kills between the two contests.
Navarro provided consistency defensively, totaling 34 digs on the day.
Nicholls finished Friday at 7-6 overall after earning the five-set victory over Southern and battling Jacksonville State through four sets.
The Crimson Tide Invitational provides another opportunity for the Colonels to continue building through their nonconference schedule before turning their attention toward Southland Conference competition.
