Ragin' Cajuns Continue Homestand, Host ULM on Saturday

LAFAYETTE – Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Volleyball continues its current four-match homestand, and resumes Sun Belt Conference play, on Saturday hosting ULM at 6:30 p.m. inside Earl K. Long Gym.

Saturday's match will serve as "Youth Volleyball Night", with all kids aged 12 and under wearing a volleyball team shirt or jersey receiving free admission.

The Ragin' Cajuns (6-13, 2-2 Sun Belt) began the homestand on Wednesday with a straight sets sweep of Southeastern Louisiana. The squad hit a season-high .378 in collecting their fifth win in the past eight matches.

With the SLU contest wrapping up non-conference play, Saturday's matchup with ULM (8-14, 2-2 Sun Belt) marks the first of 12 straight SBC matches to conclude the regular season.

Louisiana seeks to move over .500 in Sun Belt play. The Ragin' Cajuns split a pair of matches each of the first two weekends of league play – a weekend home set with the Georgia schools and the Arkansas road trip.

ULM also seeks to return to a winning mark in SBC play and climb the West Division standings. The Warhawks, who were swept on the Arkansas road trip last week, are coming off a midweek straight sets sweep of their own, downing Louisiana Tech in Ruston on Tuesday.

The Ragin' Cajuns offense has been at its best inside Earl K. Long Gym this season. The team is averaging 12.31 kills per set and hitting .243 on its home court. Louisiana has hit above .200 in all but one match at home.

Stacey Reilly, who has already established a new career-high for kills with 257 so far this season, paces the Ragin' Cajuns with 3.47 kills per set which ranks fourth in the SBC. Reilly has generated double digit kills 15 times in 19 outings.

Chanelle Gardner has provided a steady hand on offense, leading the team and ranking second in the Sun Belt with a .362 hitting percentage. On Wednesday, Gardner became only the third Ragin' Cajun in the rally scoring era (2001-present) to surpass 900 career kills.

Setter Jessica Bartczyszyn ranks second in the Sun Belt averaging 9.68 assists per set. Bartczyszyn has twice set a new career-high for assists since conference play began, handing out 57 vs. Georgia Southern (Sept. 24) followed by 59 at Little Rock (Sept. 30).

Libero Sydney Davis is one dig shy of reaching 300 for the second straight season. Davis is averaging 5.56 digs per set in SBC play, second-best figure overall, leading a Ragin' Cajuns unit which has produced 17.12 digs per set through the first four conference matches.

ULM is led offensively by Hope Pawlik (2.77 kills per set) and Mikaela Worley (2.37 k/set). Tara Jenkins directs the Warhawks offense, serving as setter and averaging 6.91 assists per set. Kacey LeBlanc is the top defender along the back line, scooping an average of 4.14 digs per set.

Saturday's matchup is the first of two between the two Sun Belt West Division foes on the 2016 docket. The Ragin' Cajuns visit Monroe on Nov. 8.

Coach Mazeitis-Fontenot's Thoughts
"Southeastern was a good momentum builder for us. The team is being diligent about the effort that they're putting in every day in practice and it's starting to show.

Our veterans are stepping up and playing a bigger role. We look forward to continuing that momentum on Saturday."

Series Notables
Louisiana leads the all-time series 44-20…Last three meetings have gone to five sets...ULM snapped a six-match series losing streak with a five-set win at Earl K. Long Gym on Sept. 25, 2015…The visiting team won both matchups last season as the Ragin' Cajuns won in five sets in Monroe on Oct. 7, 2015…Louisiana holds a 16-4 edge in matches played as Sun Belt Conference foes (2006-15).

Up Next
The Ragin' Cajuns complete the current four-match homestand at Earl K. Long Gym by holding rematches with the Sun Belt's Arkansas schools next weekend. Louisiana faces Arkansas State on Friday (Oct. 14) and Little Rock on Sunday (Oct. 16).

Louisiana was 1-1 in the first round of matches against the Arkansas foes. The Ragin' Cajuns defeated Little Rock in five sets on Sept. 30 and were swept by Arkansas State on Oct. 1.

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Players Mentioned

Jessica Bartczyszyn

Sydney Davis

Chanelle Gardner

Stacey Reilly