Untimely Errors Give UIC New Life in UL's First Loss in Memphis

Contact: Matt Hebert

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Ragin' Cajuns volleyball team left Elma Roane Fieldhouse Saturday afternoon wishing they could have a series of rallies late in the third set of their match with Illinois-Chicago back because they were that close to sweeping the Flames off the court.

Instead, UIC (6-7) found an open door and went on to win the final three sets to hand Louisiana (7-7) its first defeat in the Tiger Invitational by a 3-2 (25-27, 14-25, 25-23, 25-23, 15-13) margin.

Prior to the Flames' three-set comeback, the Ragin' Cajuns were a perfect 8-for-8 in sets in Tiger Invitational play. All three UIC set victories were by a slim two-point margin.

UL fought of several momentum shifts – 13 ties and six lead changes – in the opening set to post a 27-25 triumph.

In the second set, the Ragin' Cajuns broke open an 8-6 lead with a 9-0 run and the defense held the Flames to a -.065 hitting percentage on the way to an easy 25-14 win

Clinging to a 19-17 lead in the third set the Cajuns committed three straight attack errors to give UIC new life and a 20-19 lead. Then tied at 21-all, consecutive rallies of attack errors allowed the Flames to open a 23-21 lead which was just enough cushion to hold off UL and keep the match alive.

The Flames out-killed the Cajuns 31-22 over the fourth and fifth sets combined and used hitting percentages of .231 and .440 to stay in front of UL for the match victory.

“Unfortunately we fell short in what turned out to be a topsy-turvy five set match,” head coach Heather Mazeitis-Fontenot remarked. “If not for a few untimely errors here and there we walk away 3-0 in tournament play. But, I am really proud of how consistently we are playing right now.”

Louisiana still has chance to earn co-champion honors for the event. The Cajuns will battle host-Memphis at 5 p.m., in the tournament finale needing a win to tie for first place.

The UIC match was a volleyball enthusiasts dream. The two teams combined for 126 kills (64 for UIC, 62 for UL) and 210 digs (112 for UIC, 98 for UL). Over the third and fourth sets alone there were 24 ties and 13 lead changes.

Andrea Hole led a quartet of Cajuns with double digit kills by throwing down a team-high 15. Kelly Wiesmann added a season-best 14 kills, Tonice White finished with 12 and Lavinia Tataran posted 11.

Libero Caitlyn Auxilien recorded her 12^th double digit digs match of the year with a match-high 29 digs. Through three matches in the Tiger Invitational, Auxilien has scooped up 57 digs.

Senior setter Mandi Gavin posted her fifth double-double of the season and dished out a season-best 51 assists.

Kelsey Safranek was the main catalyst for UIC on offense, finishing with a match-high 20 kills. Maggie Strus (28 digs) and MaryKate Imrie (22 digs) led the 100-plus dig effort for the Flames.

Energized from the third set victory, UIC opened a 12-8 lead in the fourth set. The Cajuns stormed back on the next three rallies with a White kill, Auxilien ace and Blair Claypoole kill.

UL never let UIC's lead get any higher than two points and gradually worked its way into an 18-17 lead following a block solo by Gavin, White kill and Tataran ace that erased a 17-15 deficit.

The teams swapped the lead three more times down the stretch with the Flames gaining a 23-21 advantage after kills by Safranek and Sara Sternard.

The Cajuns pulled into a 23-all tie using a Hole kill and block solo by Claypoole. UIC countered with kills on the next two rallies to even the match and force the decisive fifth set.

Louisiana hit a solid .320 (10 kills, 2 errors, 25 attempts) in the fifth set, but it wasn't enough to keep up with the Flames' .440 percentage (12 kills, 1 error, 25 attempts).

After a 6-all tie, the Flames stole the momentum with a 4-1 run which started with kills from Safranek, Molly McCoy and Sternard in successive rallies and led to a 10-7 lead.

Saturday morning's battle marked the third meeting all-time between the two programs and first since Sept. 17, 2004 in Oxford, Miss., at the Ole Miss Rebel Classic. The Flames now hold a 2-1 series edge with the come-from-behind win.

-- Ragin' Cajuns --

Untimely Errors Give UIC New Life in UL's First Loss in Memphis

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Team Stats

Andrea Hole

Kelly Wiesmann

Tonice White

Lavinia Tataran

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