MONROE, La. - The ULM volleyball team emerged victorious in its season-opening match and shutdown a comeback attempt by McNeese State to claim a thrilling five-set win 3-2 (25-23, 25-20, 23-25, 17-25, 15-13) Tuesday night in the ULM Activity Center. The victory marks the first career win for Ernest Vasquez as a Division I head coach.
The Warhawks' win was a long time coming, snapping a 40-match losing streak dating back to the 2009 season. ULM (1-0) last came out on top against Jackson State 3-0 on the road onSep. 29, 2009. It also marks the first victory against a Southland Conference member since the Warhawks joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2006, the last also coming in five sets against Texas State 3-2 on Nov. 11, 2005.
Junior Zuzana Markova had a stellar debut as a Warhawk by earning her first career triple-double with an excellent all-around performance that included 12 kills, 21 assists and 10 digs. Sophomore Blanca Ocana had 14 kills and 10 digs for her fourth career double-double while senior Meghan McCoy earned her ninth career double-double by leading in assists with 27 and collected 10 digs.
Rachel Cagnina was the lone McNeese State (0-3) player to notch a double-double with 15 kills and 16 digs. Maegan Carlton had a team-high 18 kills and two other Cowgirls also reached double-figures in kills while Becky Bekelja led in assists with 54 and Katie Kennedy led in digs with 19.
ULM grabbed a commanding 7-2 lead to begin the first set, four of those points coming from kills by Ocana. McNeese State quickly responded to equal the score 9-9 and both teams went back-and-forth with five more ties before kills by Sukach and Ocana and a service error gave ULM a 17-14 advantage. Four more ties ensued before a kill by Ocana and a Cowgirl error awarded the ULM the first set 25-23.
A slower start to the second set prevented the Warhawks from jumping ahead until three straight Cowgirl errors helped them begin to build momentum with a 9-6 lead. ULM held the lead for the remainder of the set, taking its biggest advantage 18-13 with a service ace by Markova. McNeese State came within three points before two final kills gave ULM the set 25-20.
McNeese State began to regain control of the match in the third set and used a kill by Shaundrea Boulden to take its largest lead of the set 10-7. ULM quickly knotted the score with a Markova kill and two Cowgirl errors, the score staying within one point until back-to-back service aces by Sukach allowed ULM to take a 22-19 advantage. However, ULM would score just once more as McNeese State earned four unanswered points to eventually take the set 25-23.
The Cowgirls rode the momentum of the third set victory straight through the fourth and more than doubled ULM's score 11-5 almost immediately which included three-straight kills by the Cowgirls' Carlton. The Warhawks were unable to find their rhythm until two kills by Morse and a service ace by Dietlin spurred a late comeback, but it wasn't enough as McNeese State won 25-17 to force the deciding set.
ULM allowed the Cowgirls the first point of the set before scoring four consecutive points to grab a 4-1 advantage, McNeese State responding immediately with three of its own to tie the score. The Warhawks came right back with a five-point streak to more than double McNeese State 9-4 and never looked back, only allowing the Cowgirls to come within one point 14-13 before Dilonga's final kill handed ULM the final set 15-13 and the match.
The Warhawks continue action immediately with their second match of the season at home when they host Stephen F. Austin tomorrow at 6 p.m. in the ULM Activity Center.
