University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Cajuns Complete Cowgirl Roundup With Another Sweep
8/31/2002 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Saturday, Aug. 31, 2002
LAKE CHARLES – The 2002 season has begun on a high note for Louisiana-Lafayette's volleyball squad and new head coach Becky Madden.
For starters, the Ragin' Cajuns are 4-0 to start the season for the first time since 1993. More importantly the team seems to be playing well together and UL Lafayette ended the weekend with no injuries.
UL Lafayette (4-0) concluded play here this weekend at the McNeese State Cowgirl Roundup Invitational with yet another pair of victories to claim the tournament championship. The Cajuns downed Prairie View in straight sets (30-18, 30-12, 30-27) in the first match of the day and closed out the tournament with a 3-2 win over the host Cowgirls.
Louisiana-Lafayette took a team-effort approach to defeat PV. The Cajuns had four players register seven or more kills and defensively placed five with at least five digs. Lafayette native Beth Henson, back at her outside hitter slot, led the Cajuns with nine kills and 26 total attacks.
2001 starting setter and Australia native Connie Byrnes made her first start this young season at the setter position, tallying 32 assists to go along with six digs. Preseason All-Sun Belt pick Clarice Laires led UL Lafayette with 13 digs
Louisiana-Lafayette had 11 service aces and ended the match with a team hitting percentage of .121 compared to a -.022 clip for the Panthers (0-4).
In the nightcap, the Ragin' Cajuns outlasted McNeese State (2-2) for a hard-fought 3-2 (21-30, 30-22, 30-20, 22-30, 15-8) win over the Cowgirls. UL Lafayette dropped the first game of the match only to bounce back and take the next two games. MSU forced the fifth-and-deciding game with their win in the fourth game. The Cajuns took the match with the 15-8 win in the fifth game.
"Coming into the weekend I think we really didn't know how we would play as a team because we came in not having had the chance to scrimmage," Madden said. "The win today against McNeese State and yesterday's win over Southern Mississippi, where we had to rally to win, showed this team what they are capable of as a collective unit.
"I was pleased with how the players responded with one another on the court," Madden added.
Three Cajuns had double-digit kills and Laires led the Cajuns defense with 19 digs as UL Lafayette withstood 60 Cowgirl kills. MSU was plagued by 20 serve errors. A season-high 14 reception errors by the Cajuns combined with 11 serve errors kept the match close.
Louisiana-Lafayette will return to action next Friday at the Rice Invitational, as they continue their season-opening 18-match road trip with a 7 p.m. match against the host Owls.
MATCH SUMMARIES
McNeese Cowgirl Roundup Invitational at Lake Charles, La.
(Memorial Gymnasium) - Saturday, Aug. 31, 2002
UL Lafayette 3, Prairie View 0
1 2 3
UL Lafayette (3-0) 30 30 30
Prairie View (0-4) 18 12 27
UL Lafayette: Kills 40 (Henson 9, Cole 8, Laires, Lima 7); Digs 39 (Laires
13, Henson 8, Byrnes 6); Assists 34 (Byrnes 32).
PV: Kills 18
(Reese 5, Davis, Jones 3); Digs 29 (Prevost, Reese 6, Stephenson 5); Assists 11
(Reese 8).T: 1:00.
UL Lafayette 3, McNeese State 2
1 2 3 4 5
UL Lafayette (4-0) 21 30 30 22 15
McNeese State (2-2) 30 22 20 30 8
UL Lafayette: Kills 48 (Cole 12, Lima, Laires 11); Digs 53 (Laires 19,
Henson 11, Byrnes 8); Assists 33 (Byrnes 32).
MSU: Kills 60
(Eppers 18, Brittain 15, Fleury 9); Digs 62 (Fleury 15, James 11, Brittain 9);
Assists 47 (Chapman 24, Brittain 23).
T: 1:50. Cajuns win Cowgirl Roundup Championship
-Ragin' Cajuns-
