NEW ORLEANS – The ULM beach volleyball team (6-25, 1-5 Sun Belt) fell in its final two matches of the regular season, to Sun Belt opponent Southern Miss and to New Orleans. While able to claim courts on both teams, the opponents ultimately claimed victory.

Match 1: Southern Miss 4, ULM 1
Katie Felts and Avery Hunter dropped first on court two against the Golden Eagles, 21-13, 21-16. But Brooke Bankston and Maddie Peterson were able to even the score 1-1 after defeating Southern Miss in straight sets (21-13, 21-15). Calli Otjen and Ava Sondrup kept it tight, but USM found the lead in two sets, 21-18, 21-15. It was a three-set thriller on courts one and three for the clinching points, Abby Ryno and Claire Williamson falling 21-17, then forcing extra play with a 23-21 win. The duo ultimately fell in the third set, 15-10. Paige Ingersoll and Izabela Zukowska also sent the contest to three sets, winning the first 21-16 and falling 21-17. In the final set, the duo dropped in the 15-12 score.

Match 2: New Orleans 3, ULM 2
Felts/Hunter dropped on court two as the Privateers took an early lead. Bankston/Peterson also fell, 21-14, 21-16. But Ryno/Williamson swept New Orleans in straight sets on court one, 21-16, 21-14, Ingersoll/Zukowska doing the same in three sets. With the first 21-12 set victory, UNO bounced back for the 21-18 score. But the third pairing for the Warhawks claimed momentum and snagged the 15-10 win. Otjen/Sondrup dropped in the final flight, 21-19, 21-16.

The Warhawks move on to compete in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in Foley, Alabama. As the six seed, ULM will face third-seed Southern Miss for the fourth time this season on April 23 at 1:30 p.m.