MONROE, La. - The ULM volleyball team is looking to bounce back from a pair of Sun Belt Conference losses on Tuesday (Sept. 25) when they step back out of conference to face rival Louisiana Tech in Ruston. The match marks the start of a three-match road swing for the Warhawks over the next week.
"Excited to play and get an opportunity to compete mid-week," said ULM head coach Russ Friedland. "Always fun to have a local rivalry and break away from conference play."
The Warhawks are coming off the opening weekend of Sun Belt Conference play, dropping a 3-0 decision to Texas State on Friday and a 3-1 match to UT-Arlington on Sunday, moving the Warhawks to 6-8 overall and 0-2 in the Sun Belt Conference.
Louisiana Tech has won three of its last four matches coming into Tuesday and sit at 6-10 overall and 1-1 in Conference USA. The Lady Techsters opened Conference USA play over the weekend with a 3-2 loss to North Texas and a 3-1 win on Sunday against Middle Tennessee.
Tuesday's match-up features two teams that focus on defense. ULM ranks third in the Sun Belt Conference in blocks (2.32 per set) and fourth in opponent hitting percentage (.178). Louisiana Tech is fourth in Conference USA in digs (15.79 per set) and fifth in opponent hitting percentage (.195). Both teams have been strong from the service line, with ULM ranking fourth in the Sun Belt in aces (1.35 per set) and Tech fifth in C-USA (1.41 per set).
Leading the Lady Techsters is Kaitlyn Adams, who is averaging 3.18 kills per set while hitting .199 on the season. Adams tallied 31 kills at Oral Roberts on Sept. 14, which ranks second in C-USA in a single match this season. Madeline Davis averages 2.17 kills per set while hitting .329 and has 51 total blocks. Davis ranks seventh in C-USA in hitting percentage. She recorded 24 kills with a .429 hitting percentage and 14 total blocks over the opening weekend of C-USA play. Alyssa Zucco is fifth in the conference in digs (4.06 per set).
For ULM, Catherine Griffith led the attack against Texas State on Friday. Griffith collected five kills while hitting .333 on the match. Presleigh Williams and Tara Jenkins had double-digit assists with 12 and 10, respectively. Albany Schaffer picked up 10 digs. On Sunday, Mikaela Worley tallied a season-high 13 kills with a .333 hitting percentage. Williams tallied a season-high 24 assists while Jenkins added 14. Schaffer and Katie McKay picked up 12 digs each.
Louisiana Tech leads the all-time series 21-5, including a 3-1 win over ULM last season inside Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
Tuesday's match will begin at 7 p.m. at the Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston. A link to live stats for the match is available at ULMWarhawks.com. Follow the Warhawks on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @ULM_VB to stay up to date on team happenings, schedule changes, live in-game updates, and much more.
