University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Denver's Sweep Ends Cajuns Postseason Hopes
11/9/2003 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sunday, Nov. 9, 2003
DENVER – The University of Denver out-killed Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns volleyball team 51-31 and recorded a .268 attack percentage en route to a 3-0 (30-24, 30-18, 30-20) victory here Sunday afternoon at Hamilton Gymnasium.
Denver's Andrea Baron led all players with 12 kills while Olympia Hughes and Lisa Hunter contributed 11 and 10 respectively. Hunter collected a match-high 13 digs as she posted the match's lone double-double.
UL Lafayette (6-20, 2-11 Sun Belt) got a team-best eight kills from setter Beth Henson who also posted 18 assists and nine digs.
Elina Salomaki, who entered Sunday's match having tallied double-digit kills in six straight outings, was limited to just six kills and a lackluster -.045 hitting percentage (6 K, 7 E, 22 TA).
Denver (16-12, 7-6 Sun Belt) controlled the entire match, holding Louisiana-Lafayette to a .064 attack percentage as the Cajuns failed to attack above .100 in the three games.
The Cajuns 31 kills were the team's second-lowest total of the season and marked the second straight match under 40 kills.
The Pioneers out-blocked the Cajuns 12.0-5.0 led by seven blocks from Baron. UL Lafayette's Kim Rodgers notched a match-high two solo stuffs and led the Cajuns with four total blocks.
After a close game one, the Pioneers used a nine-kill advantage (17-8, 19-10) to pull away in games two and three and claim their second sweep of the Cajuns this season to complete the season series sweep.
With the loss Louisiana-Lafayette was officially eliminated from the 2003 Hardee's Sun Belt Conference Tournament. The best the Cajuns could finish in league play is 4-11 while the worst Middle Tennessee and Florida International could finish is 4-10 - both have 4-8 league marks and currently hold the seventh and eighth spots in the league standings.
With the win Denver ended its season-high three-match losing streak and clinched a spot in the SBC Tournament.
Louisiana-Lafayette will wrap up its 2003 season next weekend with a pair of road matches at Middle Tennessee and North Texas. The Cajuns are next in action on Friday, Nov. 14 in a 7 p.m. match at MT and then round out the second season under Becky Madden on Sunday, Nov. 16 at NT.
MATCH SUMMARY
Louisiana-Lafayette at Denver
Site: Denver, Colo. (Hamilton Gymnasium)
Date: Sunday, Nov. 9, 2003
Att: 374 Time: 1:10
Denver 3,
Louisiana-Lafayette 0
1
2 3
UL Lafayette (6-20, 2-11 SBC) 24 18 20
Denver (16-12, 7-6 SBC)
30 30 30
Louisiana-Lafayette (6-20, 2-11 Sun Belt) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Henson, Beth 8-0-0; Salomaki, Elina 6-2-1; Webre, Hope 5-1-0; Rodgers, Kim 5-0-4; Liverett, Stacy 5-0-1; Pattison, Jessica 1-0-0; Harvey, Tami 1-0-0; Bermes, Lindsey 0-1-2; Totals 31-4-5.0. (Assists) - Henson 18. (Dig leaders) - Bermes 10; Henson 9
Denver (16-12, 7-6 Sun Belt) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Baron, Andrea 12-1-7; Hughes, Olympia 11-1-3; Hunter, Lisa 10-1-2; Halt, Kristin 8-0-3; Rudelson, Kelli 7-0-4; Ball, Ashly 3-1-3; Adamis, Sarah 0-2-0; Totals 51-6-12.0. (Assists) - Ball 40. (Dig leaders) - Hunter 13; Karas 9; Ball 9
-Ragin' Cajuns-
