MONROE, La.?Three
Louisiana-Lafayette players recorded double-digit kills as the Ragin' Cajuns
defeated ULM 3-1 (25-13, 18-25, 25-17, 25-14) Tuesday night in Fant-Ewing
Coliseum in Sun Belt Conference action.
Elizabeth Inman
blasted a match-high 12 kills for ULL (6-11, 3-4 Sun Belt), while Amie Goodin
added 11 and Sonora Edwards recorded 10.
Kendra Hall ran the Ragin' Cajun offense effectively with 32 assists and
three kills.
Mari O'Neal
paced the Warhawks (1-20, 0-7) with 10 kills, while Ashley Bland had six and
Mahogany Dilonga added five. Christy
Tribble had a solid defensive effort for ULM with 17 digs and freshman Michelle
Messing posted a match-high three service aces to go along with her 11 digs.
The opening frame played
back-and-forth as the teams battled to an 8-8 tie, with each holding a lead
during the opening stretch of the set.
ULL took control of the set with a 13-2 run turning the tie into a 21-10
advantage.
The Warhawks shook off the
opening set rust jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the second stanza on the strength
of freshman Helen Theisen's serve. The
ULM setter blasted a pair of service aces and the Warhawks took advantage of
three Ragin' Cajun miscues during the opening spurt. Theisen finished the match with 24 assists.
Louisiana-Lafayette pulled within
a point, 6-5, but that was as close as it would get for the remainder of the
set. Stephanie Wardach sparked a 5-1 ULM
run with a kill as the Warhawks opened the set blasting five kills to just one
error. ULL rolled off three straight points
pulling within 15-13, but the Warhawks scored 10 of the final 15 points to take
the set 25-18.
Following the break, the teams
traded punches like prize fighters over the opening half of the third set. Neither
team led by more than three points until Louisiana-Lafayette took a five-point lead
on an 12-3 run, which turned an 12-9 deficit into a 21-15 advantage. ULL closed out the set winning four of the
next six points to take a 2-1 advantage in the match.
In the fourth
set, Louisiana-Lafayette answered an early 6-2 ULM lead with a 9-0 run on the
back of Goodwin's service game. The
Ragin' Cajuns kept the Warhawk attack off balance in the final set forcing them
in 13 attack errors and a -.189 attack percentage.
The Warhawks continue their five
match homestand on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. against Arkansas State at the ULM
Activity Center. The ULM players and
coaches will host a free clinic following the Sun Belt match.
