NEW ORLEANS – Courtney Carter supplied a team-high 13 kills Friday evening as Alcorn suffered a season opening 3-0 setback away to LSU New Orleans in the final match of opening day action of the LSU New Orleans/Nicholls Challenge inside Human Performance Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Braves dropped the match on set scores of 25-21, 25-16, 25-23.
 
Alcorn (0-1) battled to the finish in every set. On two occasions, the Braves pulled within a point in the third set before LSU New Orleans closed it out. The Braves were unable to overcome a New Orleans attack that hit .288 as a team and got 20 kills on a blistering .613 clip from outside hitter Armie Hall.
 
Courtney Carter, a senior outside hitter from Tomball, Texas, led Alcorn with 13 kills, adding two block assists and seven digs. Junior outside hitter/right side Jaylynn McNeill was efficient all night, providing eight kills on just 13 swings against just one (1) error for a .538 hitting percentage.
 
Meanwhile, Alcorn sophomore middle blocker Rylan Jones chipped in nine kills and two digs of her own. Setter Daylin Saiki, one of several newcomers to Interim Head Coach Gabrielle Harris' roster, ran the Alcorn offense with 22 assists, and libero Tomoni Giddings anchored the back row with a team-high 14 digs.
 
With LSU New Orleans (1-0) leading 2-0 in the match, the third set was the Braves' best chance at taking their first set of the night.
 
Alcorn trailed by as many as five points before ripping off a 6-1 run – capped by back-to-back kills from McNeill – to pull within one at 19-18. The Privateers answered, but the Braves kept clawing, eventually tying the set at 22-22 and again at 23-23 on a Carter kill off a Giddings dig.
 
LSU New Orleans survived on a block error and a kill from Laura Piva to close it out, 25-23.
 
The homestanding Privateers were anchored by Hall's 20 kills and three blocks (assisted), with Piva adding 13 kills of her own to the conversation. Defne Eciroglu, the team's primary setter, handed out a match-high 48 assists.
 
In all, the Privateers out-hit Alcorn .288 to .183 for the match, while the visitors held a lead in team blocks with a 6-5 comparison, respectfully.
 
Alcorn dug out of an early 0-4 hole in the first set and stayed within striking distance most of the way, trading points down the stretch before LSU New Orleans closed out a 25-21 win. The Privateers took firm control in the second set and cruised from there, winning it 25-16.
 
The Braves look to rebound Saturday with a pair of matches against Nicholls (2 p.m.) and Stonehill (7 p.m.) – both back at Human Performance Center in New Orleans.
 
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