ULM Warhawks

LAKE CHARLES, La. – The ULM volleyball team ended the McNeese State Invitational with a 3-1 loss (25-22, 25-22, 23-25, 25-8) against tournament host McNeese State Saturday evening.

Senior outside hitter Stephanie Wardach earned her second double-double of the season, posting 11 digs while collecting a team-high 15 kills. Junior setter Meghan McCoy contributed a season-high 34 assists and finished just one dig shy of her fifth career double-double with nine. Senior libero Christy Tribble had a match-high 22 digs. 

Two Cowgirls had double-digit kills, Priscilla Massengale led with 16 while Erin Huckabay collected 11. Massengale added 14 digs to finish with a double-double on the night, while Becky Bekelja had an impressive 46 assists. Whitney Ellisor ended the match with a team-high 21 digs. 

Fueled by three straight kills from Wardach, Ocana and Marinova, ULM took the first set lead with an 8-2 run. McNeese State answered by going on a 16-10 scoring spree that resulted in the first tie of the stanza, 18-18. McNeese State took the first set with three straight kills, 25-22. 

ULM grabbed a quick lead again during an error-laden second set, taking advantage of four straight McNeese State errors and a Wardach service ace for a 5-0 lead. The Cowgirls quickly responded, going on an 8-4 run to bring the score to 9-8. With the score tied 18-18, three-straight Bustamento kills gave the advantage to McNeese State and the Cowgirls went on to take the set, 25-22. 

The score remained within one for the beginning of the third set until three kills and a service ace put the Warhawks up 8-4. McNeese State evened the score, 11-11, and the stanza would be knotted six more times before the Cowgirls went up 23-21. A kill by Ocana began a 4-0 ULM run that included two Wardach kills and a Cowgirl error to give ULM the third set, 25-23. 

McNeese State started the fourth set with a 6-0 run before a service error put ULM up on the board. The Cowgirls would continue with a 19-7 streak to win the final set, 25-8.

The Warhawks return to action Friday when they travel to Kent, Ohio, for the Kent State Mizuno Open. ULM will face Syracuse at 2:30 p.m. on Friday before going up against host Kent State at 11 a.m. and Duquesne at 4 p.m. on Saturday.