Box Score Box Score
NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State took the first two sets from the Southeastern volleyball team Thursday as the Lady Lions dropped their second-to-last match of the season.
Freshman Stacey DiFrancesco paced Northwestern State to a 25-23, 25-15, 22-25, 25-13, Southland Conference victory over Southeastern. DiFrancesco finished with a double-double (16 kills, 13 digs).
The Lady Lions (5-27, 1-14 Southland) were led by senior
Paige Dollison (7 kills, .240 attack percentage) and
Megan McMillin (21 digs).
Southeastern took a 5-2 lead in the first set, but the Lady Demons would come back to tie the score, 8-8, off back-to-back DiFrancesco service aces. Northwestern State took the lead and pushed it to 22-12 before back-to-back kills by Dollison sent the Lady Lions on an 11-2 run. A Mackenzie Neely kill ended the run and the set for Northwestern State.
The Lady Lions took a 10-5 lead in the second set, but were once again unable to hang on. Consecutive kills by Neely, Kelly Jimenez and Nicole Hajka cut down the Southeastern advantage. Emily Sweet and DiFrancesco helped power Northwestern State past the Lady Lions and take the set.
Lindsey Young rattled off a pair of service aces to begin the third set, but the Lady Demons came back to tie the score twice, 2-2 and 6-6, before Southeastern pulled away for good.
Northwestern State answered back by running up a 12-4 lead to begin the fourth and final set. The Lady Lions were never able to close the gap.
DiFrancesco, Neely (11) and Vanessa Coleman (11) tallied double-digit kills for Northwestern State. Sweet (12), DiFrancesco (13) and two other Lady Demons recorded double digit digs.
The Lady Lions wrap up the 2011 season Saturday at 1 p.m. in Conway, Ark. with a Southland Conference match at Central Arkansas.
