University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
New Mexico State Extends Cajuns Losing Skid
10/6/2002 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sunday, Oct. 6, 2002
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The good news here Sunday at the Pan American Center for head coach Becky Madden and her Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns volleyball team is that they finally will be able to come home. The bad news is that their losing streak was extended to five matches.
In what was a the final match of UL Lafayette's season-long 18-match road trip to begin the 2002 season, the host New Mexico State Aggies claimed a 3-0 (30-24, 30-17, 30-21) win in a Sun Belt Conference West Division bout in front of 599 spectators.
The Cajuns much-anticipated home debut is set for Friday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. against Sun Belt West Division rival South Alabama. It will mark the beginning of a three-match homestand that runs through Sunday, Oct. 20.
The loss drops the Cajuns to 6-11 overall and 0-3 in the SBC this season. NMSU extended their win streak to four matches and improved to 13-4 overall and 4-0 in the SBC.
The loss was the second straight 3-0 loss to NMSU at the Pan American Center for Louisiana-Lafayette and their sixth 3-0 loss this season. The Cajuns last two losses have come by 3-0 scores (Tulane, Oct. 1). The five-match losing streak ties a season-long streak.
The Aggies controlled the pace in the first game of the match never trailing. NMSU led by 10 points twice in that first game (26-16 and 28-18) as they took the game 30-24.
In game two, both teams went back-and-forth until the score was knotted 9-9. The Aggies would roll of four key points following that point in the game and went on to outscore the Cajuns 21-8 down the stretch for a 30-17 win in the second game.
In the final game of the match the hosts would lead by as much as 14 points (23-9) and never looked back in winning 30-21 to claim the match.
Sophomore outside hitter Stacey Cole led the Cajuns with 11 kills on 37 attacks. Senior middle blocker Clarice Laires posted a team-best .250 attack percentage (5 kills, 2 errors, 12 attacks) while fellow senior Priscilla Lima, returning to action after missing the Tulane match, led UL Lafayette with 10 digs. Lima's streak of double-doubles was snapped at three matches.
NMSU's offense posted a collective .269 attack percentage and was led by Stevi Adams who had nine kills. The Aggies held the Cajuns to a .110 attack percentage. Defensively the Aggies outdug UL Lafayette 32-27 led by Adams' 12 digs.
Louisiana-Lafayette was held to a season-low 28 assists and 27 digs. Errors did not help their cause either as the Cajuns committed a season-high 15 reception errors and also had 24 attack errors.
MATCH SUMMARY
Louisiana-Lafayette at New Mexico State
Site: Las Cruces, N.M. (Pan American Center)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 6, 2002
New Mexico State 3, UL Lafayette 0
1 2 3
UL Lafayette (6-11, 0-3 SBC)
24 17 21
New Mexico St. (13-4. 4-0 SBC) 30 30 30
UL Lafayette: Kills 35 (Cole 11, Lima 9, Laires 5); Digs 27 (Lima 10, Cole
5, Bermes, Byrnes, Laires 3); Assists 28 (Henson 27).
NMSU: Kills 42 (Adams 9, Stines 8, Cuseo 7); Digs 32 (Adams 12,
Olivas 8, Arner, Godber 5); Assists 38 (Reader 33).
A: 599 T: 1:15
-Ragin' Cajuns-
