MONROE, La. – Chloe Carenza came off the bench and gained 18 digs and three service aces for the ULM volleyball team on Friday night in Fant-Ewing Coliseum, but it wasn't enough as the Ragin' Cajuns defeated the Warhawks, 3-1.
"I have to give kudos to our defensive specialists for stepping up, especially Chloe," head coach Charlie Olson said. "She served extremely well and dug some great balls."
ULM (11-18, 1-12 Sun Belt) jumped out to 3-1 lead in set one with kills by Kate Blasingame and Mikaela Worley. The Ragin' Cajuns (11-15, 7-6 Sun Belt) came back and took a slight lead, but another kill by Worley tied the set up at four. The two teams traded points, but a kill by Cali Assaley gave the Warhawks a 10-9 lead. Assaley led the team in kills with 10 and ended the night with a .333 hitting percentage.
"It was a gritty fight from the start," Olson said. "ULL is a very aggressive team, both from the service line and from the pins."
The Ragin' Cajuns made a comeback and took a 15-12 lead. Another kill by Worley got ULM back on track and a kill by Assaley put the Warhawks back in the lead, 18-17. ULM took control and moved out to a 23-18 lead, but the Ragin' Cajuns fought back and tied the set up at 23.
The Ragin' Cajuns answered the call each time the Warhawks scored until a bad set by Celeste Darling, followed by a service ace from Katie McKay, ended the set. ULM won set one, 30-28.
The Ragin' Cajuns jumped out to a 10-4 lead to start set two and eventually moved out to a 14-5 lead. A kill by Alix Christie was the catalyst for a Warhawk comeback. ULM went on a 9-1 run to cut the deficit to 15-14 and caused the Ragin' Cajuns to take a timeout.
"When we pushed them back, they showed some vulnerability, but they made some great adjustments to keep our offense relatively quiet," Olson said.
The Ragin' Cajuns used the break to their advantage and went back on the attack, increasing their lead to 22-17. Worley nailed a kill, but the Ragin' Cajuns held fast and won set two, 25-19.
It was a tight race to start the third set with five different ties to start the set. McKinley Thiede earned a service ace to start her strong stretch of serving and helped the Warhawks move to a 15-12 lead. The Ragin' Cajuns made a comeback and tied the set at 16, but a kill by Kathryn Raschilla put ULM back ahead.
The Warhawks kept the offensive attack going until Avery Breaux hit the service line for the Ragin' Cajuns. Breaux caused four attack errors by ULM and allowed the Ragin' Cajuns to take set three, 25-21.
The Ragin' Cajuns jumped out to a 12-3 lead to start set four. Christie hit a kill to try and turn the momentum back in favor of the Warhawks. ULM made a short-lived comeback, but it wasn't enough as the Ragin' Cajuns won set four, 25-14.
"We look forward to the rematch," Olson said. "We won't go down quietly and will use the remaining three matches to gain momentum to wrap up the season. We will play with our heads held high and fight with dignity, no matter the outcome. We will compete and finish strong."
The Warhawks will take to the road and travel to Lafayette for a rematch at noon on Sunday against the Ragin' Cajuns.
Links to live coverage, including video and stats, for Sunday's game against the Ragin' Cajuns can be found on the volleyball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com. Follow along with all things Warhawk Volleyball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @ULM_VB.
