University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Volleyball Set for Sun Belt Home Opener
9/27/2011 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
First serve is set for 7 p.m. The match serves as the Sun Belt home opener for the Cajuns (8-10, 0-2 Sun Belt).
Louisiana began Sun Belt play last weekend with the Alabama road swing, falling to South Alabama and Troy in four sets.
Tuesday's match is the first of three at Earl K. Long Gym over a six-day span for UL. The Cajuns host Denver on Friday and North Texas on Sunday to conclude the homestand.
The Cajuns carry a six-match win streak at home into the contest with the Warhawks (6-6, 0-2 Sun Belt). UL has won 14 of the last 16 matches at E.K. Long Gym, a streak that dates back to last season.
Lesley Mirarchi continues to pace the Cajuns' offense to the tune of 2.49 kills per set and a .252 hitting percentage. So far this season, Mirarchi has upped her career kills total to 803 - a tally which ranks as the fourth-most in the rally scoring era.
On Sunday at Troy the Cajuns welcomed back Andrea Hole to the lineup. Out since Sept. 10 with injury, Hole took over as setter allowing Mandi Gavin to shift back to middle blocker and boost the Cajuns offensive attack. Hole tallied 44 assists and Gavin threw down 12 kills at Troy, both season-highs.
Freshman Caitlin Auxilien has posted double figures in digs in eight straight matches dating back to the Sept. 10 match vs. Northwestern State. Since taking over at libero that day at the CenturyLink Premier in San Marcos, Texas, Auxilien has averaged 3.73 digs per set.
The Cajuns have played their best volleyball at Earl K. Long Gym this season. The squad is averaging 13.2 kills per set, hitting .245 and serving up 3.0 aces per set. Defensively, UL has limited opponents to 7.9 kills per set, a .108 hitting percentage and forced 3.0 reception errors per set.
The Warhawks carry with them one of the nation's longest streaks of futility, having lost 83 consecutive Sun Belt matches dating back to the 2006 season.
Zuzana Markova is ULM's all-around force to contend with, as she picked up her seventh triple-double of the season against South Alabama on Sunday with 16 kills and team-highs in both assists and digs with 20 and 15, respectively.
Markova leads the Warhawks in both kills and assists with 3.14 and 4.39 per set, respectively, and Marcela Urbina has risen to the top for ULM in digs with 2.98 per set.
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
