University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Friday, October 18
Statesboro, Ga.
5:30 p.m. (CDT)
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
at
Georgia Southern
Trip to Georgia Concludes Road-Laden Stretch for Louisiana Volleyball
10/17/2019 10:39:00 AM | Volleyball
@RaginCajunsVB on the road for the third time in first four weeks of Sun Belt play
LAFAYETTE – The first half of Sun Belt Conference play and a four-match road trip wraps up for Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Volleyball when the squad travels through Georgia the weekend of Oct. 18-20.
The Ragin' Cajuns (5-14, 1-5 Sun Belt) begin the weekend at Georgia Southern (6-11, 1-5 Sun Belt) on Friday in Statesboro, Ga., with first serve from Hanner Fieldhouse set for 5:30 p.m. (CDT).
On Sunday, Louisiana is in Atlanta at the GSU Sports Arena for a matchup with Georgia State (6-11, 2-4 Sun Belt) at 11 a.m. (CDT).
The matchups with the Eagles and Panthers also concludes a series of six consecutive matches – the final four on the road – against Sun Belt East Division foes.
The Ragin' Cajuns, coming off a pair of hard-luck defeats on the road last weekend at South Alabama and Troy, seek to trend upward in the SBC standings in advance of a four-match homestand which begins Oct. 25.
Fans can follow both of the weekend's matches by accessing the live stats and live video links at RaginCajuns.com/2019VB and with updates posted on the team's Twitter account (@RaginCajunsVB).
THE MATCHES
Match 20: Louisiana (5-14, 1-5 Sun Belt) at Georgia Southern (6-11, 1-5 Sun Belt)
Friday, Oct. 18 • 5:30 p.m. (CDT) • Hanner Fieldhouse (3,897) • Statesboro, Ga.
Stream: GSEagles.com/Watch
Series: Tied 3-3
Last Meeting: 10/20/18 at Earl K. Long Gym – Louisiana W, 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-13)
Watch | Live Stats
Match 21: Louisiana (5-14, 1-5 Sun Belt) at Georgia State (6-11, 2-4 Sun Belt)
Sunday, Oct. 20 • 11:00 a.m. (CDT) • GSU Sports Arena (3,854) • Atlanta, Ga.
Stream: GeorgiaStateSports.com
Series: Louisiana leads 6-3
Last Meeting: 10/19/18 at Earl K. Long Gym – Louisiana W, 3-1 (25-13, 23-25, 26-24, 25-15)
Watch | Live Stats
SET POINTS
ABOUT LOUISIANA
Highlighting the list of returners is junior outside hitter Hali Wisnoskie, a two-time All-Sun Belt selection and preseason all-conference choice for 2019, who owns a pair of 300-plus kills seasons and senior middle blocker Dree'Ana Abram who has dominated at the net with back-to-back seasons of 90-plus blocks.
Other returning starters include right side hitter Desiree Johnson who appeared in every match and set during her rookie campaign and setters Avery Breaux and Milayne Danna who directed the 6-2 offense in 2018.
Tia Jade Smith, who showed she can be a force in the middle during a key two-week stretch in the second half of Sun Belt play last season, is expected to make an impact.
The Ragin' Cajuns welcome a pair of newcomers from the junior college ranks in standout libero Hannah Ramirez from Panola College along with Lafayette native Elise Baranco who returns home after one season at Pratt (Kan.) Community College.
Freshmen team members include Dallas Skyline Juniors standouts Kara Barnes and Celeste Darling and Parker, Colo., product Claire Turner.
UP NEXT
Louisiana returns to Earl K. Long Gym to begin a four-match homestand which keeps the squad at the friendly confines through the first weekend in November.
The Ragin' Cajuns begin the homestand Friday-Saturday, Oct. 25-26 hosting the Sun Belt's Arkansas schools in a pair of 6:30 p.m. matches, starting with Little Rock on Friday followed by Arkansas State on Saturday.
FOLLOW THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter (@RaginCajunsVB), Facebook (/RaginCajunsVB) or Instagram (@RaginCajunsVB) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Volleyball.
The Ragin' Cajuns (5-14, 1-5 Sun Belt) begin the weekend at Georgia Southern (6-11, 1-5 Sun Belt) on Friday in Statesboro, Ga., with first serve from Hanner Fieldhouse set for 5:30 p.m. (CDT).
On Sunday, Louisiana is in Atlanta at the GSU Sports Arena for a matchup with Georgia State (6-11, 2-4 Sun Belt) at 11 a.m. (CDT).
The matchups with the Eagles and Panthers also concludes a series of six consecutive matches – the final four on the road – against Sun Belt East Division foes.
The Ragin' Cajuns, coming off a pair of hard-luck defeats on the road last weekend at South Alabama and Troy, seek to trend upward in the SBC standings in advance of a four-match homestand which begins Oct. 25.
Fans can follow both of the weekend's matches by accessing the live stats and live video links at RaginCajuns.com/2019VB and with updates posted on the team's Twitter account (@RaginCajunsVB).
THE MATCHES
Match 20: Louisiana (5-14, 1-5 Sun Belt) at Georgia Southern (6-11, 1-5 Sun Belt)
Friday, Oct. 18 • 5:30 p.m. (CDT) • Hanner Fieldhouse (3,897) • Statesboro, Ga.
Stream: GSEagles.com/Watch
Series: Tied 3-3
Last Meeting: 10/20/18 at Earl K. Long Gym – Louisiana W, 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-13)
Watch | Live Stats
Match 21: Louisiana (5-14, 1-5 Sun Belt) at Georgia State (6-11, 2-4 Sun Belt)
Sunday, Oct. 20 • 11:00 a.m. (CDT) • GSU Sports Arena (3,854) • Atlanta, Ga.
Stream: GeorgiaStateSports.com
Series: Louisiana leads 6-3
Last Meeting: 10/19/18 at Earl K. Long Gym – Louisiana W, 3-1 (25-13, 23-25, 26-24, 25-15)
Watch | Live Stats
SET POINTS
- The weekend set with the Sun Belt's Georgia schools closes out Louisiana's cross-divisional league matchups this season. Beginning Oct. 25, the remaining eight matches are all against fellow SBC West teams.
- Louisiana seeks to extend win streaks over both Georgia Southern and Georgia State. The Ragin' Cajuns have swept the weekend set with the two programs the past two seasons.
- All but one of the Ragin' Cajuns six Sun Belt matches have been extended past three sets.
- Louisiana has made it tough for opposing foes to find the floor, averaging 17.6 digs per set – a figure which ranks Top 15 nationally and leads the Sun Belt Conference. The Ragin' Cajuns have scooped at least 50 digs in all but two matches.
- Louisiana features a balanced attack with four players averaging at least two kills per set. Two-time All-Sun Belt performer Hali Wisnoskie leads the group averaging 2.46 kills per set. She's joined by Kelsey Bennett (2.32 kills/set), Celeste Darling (2.25 kills/set) and Dree'Ana Abram (2.19 kills/set).
- The Ragin' Cajuns offense hit .200-plus in both outings of the South Alabama-Troy trip. It marked the first occurrence of consecutive outings above .200 since a string of four straight matches from Sept. 6-10.
- Louisiana's depth was on display last Saturday at Troy, as the squad received strong from Elise Baranco and Darby O'Grady. Baranco scored five kills and tallied three blocks, while O'Grady produced four kills and an ace.
- Sophomore Kelsey Bennett scored 20-plus kills and rounded up double digits in digs a second consecutive weekend, finishing with 20 kills and 17 digs on the USA-Troy trip.
- Over the first two weekends of Sun Belt play, Kelsey Bennett ranked Top 10 in the league in digs per set. Currently, Bennett averages 3.46 digs per set in SBC action.
- Dree'Ana Abram is 13 blocks shy from becoming only the third player in the rally scoring era to amass 300 career blocks (would join Kim Rodgers and Chanelle Gardner).
- Junior setter Avery Breaux needs 14 more digs to reach 200 digs in a season for the third straight year.
- Avery Breaux continues to excel as the primary setter in Louisiana's return to the 5-1 offensive system. On Oct. 4 vs. App State she handed out 55 assists, setting her career-high total for the third straight match, then turned in back-to-back efforts of 36 assists at South Alabama and Troy.
- With 15 kills on the App-Coastal weekend, Hali Wisnoskie checked off another milestone on the way to 1,000 collegiate kills, as that amount increased her current total past 800 (now at 830).
- Last Friday at South Alabama, flashes of dominance by Hali Wisnoskie, similar to the previous two years, was on display as she fired off season-high totals of 18 kills and a .309 percentage.
- Dree'Ana Abram has increased her productivity in Sun Belt Conference play, leading the team with 2.71 kills per set on a .283 percentage. Abram has scored double figures in kills in four of six SBC matches thus far, hitting above .300 each time.
- JUCO transfer libero Hannah Ramirez represented Louisiana on an all-tournament team in three of the four non-conference weekends. Ramirez ranks Top 100 nationally in digs per set.
- Over the last two weekends of September, Tia Jade Smith racked up both double digits in total blocks and averaged over one per set. Smith threw up 13 blocks at Florida's Gators Invitational, then posted 10 blocks during the Texas trek highlighted by a season-high seven at UTA.
ABOUT LOUISIANA
Highlighting the list of returners is junior outside hitter Hali Wisnoskie, a two-time All-Sun Belt selection and preseason all-conference choice for 2019, who owns a pair of 300-plus kills seasons and senior middle blocker Dree'Ana Abram who has dominated at the net with back-to-back seasons of 90-plus blocks.
Other returning starters include right side hitter Desiree Johnson who appeared in every match and set during her rookie campaign and setters Avery Breaux and Milayne Danna who directed the 6-2 offense in 2018.
Tia Jade Smith, who showed she can be a force in the middle during a key two-week stretch in the second half of Sun Belt play last season, is expected to make an impact.
The Ragin' Cajuns welcome a pair of newcomers from the junior college ranks in standout libero Hannah Ramirez from Panola College along with Lafayette native Elise Baranco who returns home after one season at Pratt (Kan.) Community College.
Freshmen team members include Dallas Skyline Juniors standouts Kara Barnes and Celeste Darling and Parker, Colo., product Claire Turner.
UP NEXT
Louisiana returns to Earl K. Long Gym to begin a four-match homestand which keeps the squad at the friendly confines through the first weekend in November.
The Ragin' Cajuns begin the homestand Friday-Saturday, Oct. 25-26 hosting the Sun Belt's Arkansas schools in a pair of 6:30 p.m. matches, starting with Little Rock on Friday followed by Arkansas State on Saturday.
FOLLOW THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter (@RaginCajunsVB), Facebook (/RaginCajunsVB) or Instagram (@RaginCajunsVB) to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Louisiana Volleyball.
- www.RaginCajuns.com -
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
DS/S
/ Volleyball
RS
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
RS
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
OH
/ VolleyballKristi Gray Media Availability (Oct 10, 2025)
Monday, November 10
Kristi Gray Media Availability (Nov 3, 2025)
Monday, November 03
Kristi Gray Media Availability (Oct 27, 2025)
Monday, October 27
Kristi Gray Media Availability (Oct 20, 2025)
Monday, October 20
