BEAUMONT, Texas – After a tough slide, Lamar University volleyball got back on track with a home win over New Orleans on Saturday, 3-1 (25-15, 24-26, 25-15, 25-17). Their efforts were buoyed by 17 service aces, the most by the Cardinals in a game since 2002.
 
Lamar (11-9, 3-5 SLC) hit 44-11-128 (.258) on the afternoon with 12 blocks. Maja Malinowska led the Cardinals with 16 kills while tacking on 12 digs and five aces. Lyric Jordan chipped in 12 kills while Taisha Rhone posted a team-high 14 digs.
 
New Orleans (2-19, 0-9 SLC) finished the match with a hitting percentage of 7.4 percent (42-31-148). The Privateers were let down by four reception errors and 13 service errors.
 
The Cardinals never trailed in the first set and did not commit an attacking error. They finished with a hitting percentage of .395 in the opening frame en route to taking an early lead.
 
A quick 10-2 start for the Privateers in the second set was then answered by a 9-1 Cardinal run. The early deficit would prove too much to overcome, however, as Lamar never could retake the lead in the set.
 
After both teams traded points early in Set 3, Big Red responded with a 16-6 run to finish out the frame. The Cardinals totaled eight aces in the set from Alexa Gonzalez, Malinowska and Rhone.
 
Lamar wasted no time in the fourth set getting off to a 11-3 start. They rode that momentum to a match victory capped off by a pair of blocks from Ashlyn Gamble.

Lamar travels north to face off against Stephen F. Austin on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before returning home to play Northwestern State on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+.