The New Orleans Privateers women’s beach volleyball team lost a close 3-2 match against the Houston Christian University Huskies on Apr. 22 in the opening round of the Southland Conference Tournament at Water’s Edge Park in Corpus Christi, Texas.
The match was closely contested and came down to the final pairing. In flight one, Cassie and Ellie Sieling rallied from a set down to win the second set 21-16. The deciding third set saw them come back from an early deficit of 8-4, forcing extra rallies. Both teams had multiple opportunities to clinch the victory, with ten combined match points saved before HCU ultimately secured a narrow 25-23 win.
Throughout the morning, momentum shifted between both squads. HCU scored first with a straight-set victory at flight four (21-14, 21-16), but New Orleans answered through Ashley Salazar and Brooke Dow who prevailed in extra rallies for both sets (24-22, 22-20). The Huskies regained their lead by winning flight three (21-16, 21-11), but New Orleans tied it again after Jordan Madsen and Lindsey Neal won at flight five (21-18, 17-21, 15-10).
With each side having two victories apiece going into the final contest at flight one, tension ran high as both pairs battled for every point until HCU managed to secure their place in the next round.
Looking ahead, New Orleans will face McNeese State University in an elimination match scheduled for Thursday at 11 a.m.
The outcome highlights how competitive matches can be during conference tournaments and sets up another crucial contest as teams vie for advancement.
