MONROE, La. - The ULM volleyball team dropped
a pair of matches during the final day of the Adidas Warhawk Bayou Showdown on
Saturday inside the campus' Activity Center. McNeese State claimed the first
match over the Warhawks 3-0 (25-13, 25-13, 25-8), while Jackson State took the
closing match of the tournament in straight sets (25-19, 25-19, 25-18).
Overall for the tournament, Mari O'Neal led
ULM (2-13) with 17 kills, while Meghan McCoy added 62 assists. Christy Tribble
and Ashley Bland led the defensive efforts with 31 digs and 12 blocks,
respectively.
McNeese
State vs. ULM Recap:
Sarah Cartie recorded the matches only
double-double, 26 assists and 10 digs, to go along with five kills and two
service aces for McNeese State (11-1). Priscilla Massengale recorded 12 kills
and Whitney Ellisor added 12 digs for the Cowgirls.
ULM was led by Stephanie Wardach's five
kills, while McCoy chipped in 13 assists and Tribble dug nine balls. The
Warhawks finished with a -.012 attacking percentage compared to the Cowgirls
.341.
McNeese State used a 14-4 run to push away
from ULM in the middle portion of the first stanza. Cartie served two of the
Cowgirls five aces during the run to take the first set, 25-13.
Nicole Bowden smashed six kills during the
second frame to help McNeese State's .464 attacking percentage in the set. Wardach
recorded four of her five kills during the set, but the Cowgirls 9-1 start gave
them the second frame 25-13.
McNeese State charged out of the gates in the
third set behind an 11-0 run that included a service ace from Chanel Tyler and
a pair of kills from Erin Huckabay and Massengale. The Cowgirls eventually went
on to win the set, 25-8, and the straight set match victory.
Jackson
State vs. ULM Recap:
Brittany Larkin and Donisha Dunn each tallied
a match-high nine kills to lead Jackson State (2-11). LaToya Clark added 31
assists and Whitney Nowlin dugs 18 balls.
O'Neal smashed a team-high seven kills for
the Warhawks, while McCoy finished with 23 assists and Tribble dug a total of
17 balls.
Donisha Dunn smashed a trio of kills to propel
Jackson State during an 8-2 run to claim the first frame 25-19. In the set
there were six scoring ties and one lead change.
Despite the Warhawks jumping out to an early
11-1 lead, the Lady Tigers bounced back with a 14-1 run of their own to tie the
second frame at 15-all. Battling back and forth over the next few points, a
pair of ULM attacking errors gave Jackson State an 18-16 lead. The Lady Tigers
used a Teri Braddock service ace and a variety of kills to claim the second
stanza 25-19.
Jackson State compiled a 12-5 run over the
final half of the third frame to claim third set and straight set match
victory.
Nicole
Bowden of McNeese State earned MVP honors, while Chanel Tyler (McNeese State), Priscilla
Massengale (McNeese State), Joannes Marras Tate (Florida Atlantic), Cintia
Nightingale (Florida Atlantic), and LaToya Clark (Jackson State) all earned
all-tournament honors.
ULM next hosts UALR in a Sun Belt match on Thursday
at 7:00 p.m. inside the ULM Activity Center.
