NATCHITOCHES, LA. -- The University of the Incarnate Word volleyball team fell to Northwestern State, 3-1, Thursday night in its first Southland Conference match of 2018. The Cardinals rallied to take the third set, but a late push from NSU secured the victory for the Lady Demons.
 
NOTABLES

• Freshman outside hitter Bethany Clapp paced the offense with 16 kills.
• It was her third consecutive double-digit kill performance, and her fifth of the season. She has recorded 48 kills in her last three matches.
• Freshman setter Pilar Gonzaba turned in her best match of the season. She finished with 33 assists to lead the team.
• The month of September continues to be kind to sophomore outside hitter Julia Monday. She finished with 13 kills on a team-best .500 hitting.
• That is the best attack percentage of her career when amassing 10 or more kills.
• She has recorded double-digit kills in three matches this season and she has nine such matches in her career.
• Monday also added four total blocks, tying her season high (set @ UTRGV 9/4).
• Freshman middle blocker Carissa McGarity matched her season high with five blocks (also @ UTRGV 9/4).
• Sophomore defensive specialist Madelynn Miller led the team, once more, with 22 digs. This marked her ninth career match, and the second of 2018, with 20-or-more digs.
• Senior outside hitter Maddie Slaughter played a major role in the third set, collecting six of her eight kills.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1 (22-25) | NSU jumped out to an 8-1 lead, but Monday responded with three kills and a solo block to help UIW cut the lead to two (10-8). A four-point run from the Lady Demons put them up six points once more (18-12), but UIW rallied twice, pulling as close as 23-22. Ultimately, the rally fell short and NSU took the set.  Monday and Clapp led the team with five kills each, including a .625 attack percentage from Monday. Gonzaba added 11 assists and Miller led the way defensively with seven digs in the set.
 
SET 2 (17-25) | The Lady Demons once again took an early lead which they would not relinquish. The Cardinals cut into the lead, 18-15, but NSU stayed in front to win the set. Clapp put up four kills and Miller chipped in seven digs as Northwestern State took a 2-0 match advantage.
 
SET 3 (25-18) | Slaughter showcased her senior leadership by pouring in three kills to help the Cardinals start set four on top. McGarity followed with three straight blocks to help UIW get out to a 7-2 lead. From there, a hefty dose of Monday and Clapp put the Lady Demons to bed in the third. Slaughter led the team with six kills and McGarity finished with four blocks in the set. The offense responded from the second set by hitting .367.
 
SET 4 (17-25) | The Cardinals kept the momentum going into the fourth set, jumping out to a 7-4 lead. But this time, NSU rallied, eventually rattling off six straight points to take an 18-13 advantage. UIW fought to keep the comeback alive, but the Lady Demons captured the set and the match. Clapp and Monday both finished with three kills.
 
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH SAMANTHA DABBS
"Tonight, we definitely got better and grew as a team. Our young kids are really stepping up and doing a nice job, especially on the road. Pilar [Gonzaba] did a nice job tonight running our offense and sticking to our system. She found Monday in critical situations and Monday had a really nice performance tonight. I told the team that you learn more from a loss than a win and in a weird way it's not bad to lose this way, because we have something to get better at!"
 
UP NEXT
The Cardinals continue SLC play with two more road matches at Southeastern Louisiana, Sept. 22 (1 p.m.) and Lamar, Sept. 25 (7 p.m.). They follow that with a pair of matches at home -- Sept. 27 against Sam Houston State (7 p.m.) and Sept. 29 vs. Abilene Christian (2 p.m.) -- to complete five matches in nine days.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
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