Special to the American Press

Volleyball team vying for SLC berth

The McNeese State women’s volleyball team closes out its regular-season schedule at Incarnate Word in San Antonio.

The teams will be playing for a berth in next week’s Southland Conference Tournament.

The match begins at 1:30 p.m. today as the Cowgirls (5-6 SLC) try to end a two-match losing streak. UIW (5-8, 4-6) has won three of its last four matches.

Kendall Glueck and Regan Stiawalt lead the Cowgirls offense with 113 and 106 kills, respectively. Jaiden Kennedy leads McNeese with 31 blocks. Caitlin Sharrock has a team-best 159 assists and Madison Fontenot leads the back line of defense with 141 digs.

For the Cardinals, Bethany Clapp enters the match with 189 kills and Jacqueline Arrington has at team-high 29 blocks.

Softball team sweeps doubleheader

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The McNeese State softball team swept a Southland Conference doubleheader from host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, winning 3-2 in nine innings and 6-1 in the second game.

The Cowgirls (13-18, 4-4 SLC) go for the sweep at noon today, trying to run their win streak to four. McNeese snapped the Islanders’ five-game winning streak, all by shutout, but not before the Islanders ran their shutout streak to 39 innings.

The Cowgirls overcame a 2-0 deficit to win the opener. Toni Perrin scored the winning run on Padyn Williams’ single to right field in the top of the ninth. The Cowgirls forced the extra innings when Jil Poullard hit a two-run home run in the seventh.

Jenna Edwards (3-1) got the win. Beatriz Lara (9-3) took the loss.

Kaylee Lopez had three hits and an RBI to pace the Cowgirls in the second game. Perrin had and RBI and two hits, including a triple. Williams drove in two runs. The Cowgirls won despite committing three errors and put the game away with a three-run seventh inning.

Whitney Tate (5-7) got the win. Jenika Lombrana (4-7) took the loss.

McKenzie breaks own school record

AUSTIN, Texas — McNeese State Cowgirl senior multi-event athlete Grace McKenzie broke her own school record in the heptathlon by scoring 5,734 points, blistering her old record by 115 points in her final day of competing Friday at the 93rd Texas Relays.

McKenzie’s total placed her third overall and second among college entries.

Cowgirls senior thrower Alanna Arvie won the Group B shot put and set a school record with a mark of 51 feet, 7 inches. She won the event by almost 3 inches.

Arvie took over first place after her fourth throw of 51-3, which initially broke the old record of 49-9 set by Nikki Hunter in 1998.

Starting with the 200 meters, McKenzie finished third with a time of 24.98 seconds to record 889 points. She placed second in the long jump (20-21⁄4) to add 896 points to her total. McKenzie capped her meet by scoring 577 points in the javelin (115-8).

Dreunna Washington clocked a personal record in the 100 (11.88) for third place in her heat.

Cowboys hurdler Olu Ogunyemi set a personal best in the 100 high hurdles (14.56). Ronnie Jackson ran a 14.69.

The Cowboys and Cowgirls will be in Houston today to take part in the Rice Classic.

UNO sends Cowgirls to fifth straight loss

New Orleans beat McNeese State 5-2 Friday in a Southland Conference women’s tennis match.

It was the fifth consecutive loss for the Cowgirls (1-13, 1-6 SLC), who will host Nicholls State at 11 a.m. Sunday. UNO (7-2, 6-1) won its second match in a row.

Matilde Mulatero and Natalia Ballo provided the Cowgirls with their singles wins.

New Orleans 5, McNeese St. 2

Singles

Ank Vullings, UNO, def. Sofia San Jose Moren, McN, 6-3, 6-2.

Lina Hohnhold, UNO, def. Carlotta Romito, McN, 6-4, 6-2.

Natalia Ballo, McN, def. Estelle Vanthie, UNO, 6-4, 7-6.

Matilde Mulatero, McN, def. Anastasia Vaganova, UNO, 7-6, 6-1, 7-6.

Salma Abdelrahim, UNO, def. Luna Jokanovic, McN, 7-6, 6-7, 7-5.

Lea Alguacil, UNO, def. Yukina Abe, McN, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Doubles

Tristanne Dechoux/Hohnhold, UNO, def. Jokanovic/Romito, 6-2.

Vullings/Alguacil, UNO, def. Abe/San Jose Moren, McN, 6-2.

Vanthie/Abdelrahim, UNO, vs. Mulatero/Ballo, McN, 5-3.McNeese athleticsMcNeese State University