SAN ANTONIO- The University of the Incarnate Word women's volleyball team heads to Louisiana to start the second round of conference matchups this weekend. They'll take on New Orleans Thursday (10/20) morning at 11 a.m. and face Nicholls on Saturday (10/22) also at 11 a.m.

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THE LAST TIME THEY MET

New Orleans (UIW 2-3)
It hasn't been long since the last time these teams met. On September 24, the Cardinals squared up with the Privateers in a five-set match that ended with a win for New Orleans.

In the exciting match, UIW took the first two sets and the Privateers came back to win the second.In the third, the offensive line for the Cardinals was on the attack and a trio of kills came early from Allison Palmi, Risa Sena, and Kyla Malone. The Cardinals built up an early lead, 16-10, and after a block from Finley Evans and Annamarie Alvarez, they solidified the win.
New Orleans took the fourth to extend the game to five sets.

In a must-win fifth set, the game was nothing short of a roller coaster. Both teams traded points one after the other and the largest lead a team held was only by two points. Jacqueline Arrington played fantastic as she partnered with Taylor Stoops to place a ball deep into Privateer land to give UIW the lead 10-9. After a small run and a few errors, New Orleans won the match 3-2.

The Cardinals will have to watch out for a few players on the Privateers squad. Kristi Gomez and Irene Kitson led the charge for New Orleans offensively with 23 of the 50 kills. Kitson also contributed six blocks to the game as UIW will have to have to maneuver a way through the Privateers' defense.

NICHOLLS (UIW 0-3)
The Cardinals opened up the SLC Conference season against the Colonels on September 22 of this year. In their last matchup, Nicholls beat UIW in three sets.
In the first set of the match, the Colonels took an early lead to win the first set 19-25.

The second and third sets barely slipped through the fingers of the Cardinals. Alvarez made huge plays to bring UIW back within a few points multiple times throughout the game. She finished the match with 11 kills and three blocks. Arrington was also a key player in the match as she ended with five kills and a team-high four blocks. Sena and Malone both had nine kills each as Stoops contributed a total of 21 assist.

The Cardinals will have to watch out for the defensive antics the Colonels put on. Trinity Vinzant accumulated 17 digs and Kadie Becnel added 12 in the win. Prior Mackenzie, the most all-around player UIW will have to watch for, was all over the floor last game. She snagged 10 digs, added two aces, and contributed 12 kills to help Nicholls win the last match.

UIW (4-15)
Recently, the Cardinals have been flying under the radar in the Southland Conference. After upsetting Houston Christian two weeks ago and winning in a dominant fashion at home against Southeastern Louisiana this past Saturday (10/15), the team has been on the rise as we get closer to tournament time.

Currently sitting at eight in the conference standings, the Cardinals are heading to Louisiana hot.

Sena is leading UIW offensively as she's tallied up an impressive 146 kills this season. Right behind her is Alvarez with 144 and Palmi with 133. Malone has also been rising in the stat books with 117 kills on the season and averaging 1.98 per set. Arrington is steadily the most consistent defensive player on this Cardinals roster. With over 60 kills in her 67 matches played, her skill set is one that UIW most definitely needs heading into the second phase of SLC play. Stoops is still leading the conference with 64 service aces on the year and most recently hit the 500 mark for assists through a single season. She's proved to be a force to be reckoned with as the year goes on.

FOLLOW ALONG
For the most up-to-date information on UIW Athletics, visit uiwcardinals.com, follow the Cardinals on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like UIW Athletics on Facebook. Follow the team on Twitter @UIWVolleyball and on Instagram @uiw_volleyball.