University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
6-8
Texas Tech
11-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 11 | 20 | 15 | 0 |
| Texas Tech | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Cajuns Close Out Tournament Play
9/18/2011 12:10:00 AM | Volleyball
The Ragin' Cajuns volleyball team closed out tournament play for the 2011 season with a split at the UT Arlington Hilton Invitational on Saturday at Texas Hall in Arlington, Texas.
Louisiana (7-8) fell in straight sets to Texas Tech in the first match as the Red Raiders used a sizzling .298 hitting percentage to their advantage. The Cajuns were limited to a .063 hitting percentage.
In the tournament finale the Cajuns were paced by a quartet of players with seven-plus kills and claimed a 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-14) victory over Prairie View A&M.
Setter Mandi Gavin was named to the all-tournament team. Gavin posted 87 assists over the weekend moving her with 27 of reaching the program's all-time career Top 5 list.
Louisiana wraps up non-conference play on Tuesday at Southeastern Louisiana. Then it's off to Alabama to start Sun Belt Conference play against South Alabama (Sept. 23) and Troy (Sept. 25).
Louisiana vs. Texas Tech
Lesley Mirarchi and Tonice White each tallied seven kills to lead the Cajuns offense, but it wasn't enough as the Red Raiders used a 44-25 advantage in kills to claim the match.
TTU (11-1) enjoyed a comfortable sweep (25-11, 25-20, 25-15) as there were only four tied scores and one lead change throughout the match. The Red Raiders compiled 14-plus kills in all three sets.
The first four points of the opening set went the Red Raiders' way and the lead reached double figures at 15-5 on a Miara Cave kill.
A block thrown up by Mirarchi and Kerrilyn Lazare opened a 4-2 lead for UL in the second set. TTU pulled ahead to stay, 6-5, on back-to-back kills by Breeann David and Amanda Dowdy.
A -.091 hitting percentage in the final set proved costly for the Cajuns as the Red Raiders' .294 percentage was too much to overcome.
Louisiana vs. Prairie View A&M
Tonice White led a quartet of Cajuns with seven-plus kills as she ended the match with nine on just 17 attempts. Kerrliyn Lazare and Lesley Mirarchi added eight and Taylor Meade chipped in with seven.
In a complete turn of fortune from Saturday's first contest, the Cajuns out-hit the Panthers .247 to .071 en route to the sweep by scores of 25-16, 25-22, 25-14.
Louisiana battled back from a 12-7 deficit in the opening set with a 9-1 run to claim the lead for good. Back-to-back kills by Lazare knotted the score at 13-all, then an attack error by Christine Ruckman gave UL the lead.
The Cajuns rallied again in the second set, this time using a 5-1 run to pull into a 13-all tie. Down 15-14, a kill by White created the sixth and final tie of the set. An attack error by Maegan Coleman and Mayme Cook service ace put UL in control.
Louisiana never trailed in the final set stealing the momentum with four unanswered points after the Panthers knotted the score at 4-all. The Cajuns hit .321 in the set and held PVAMU to a -.111 hitting percentage.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
