Stretch Run for Louisiana Volleyball Begins With ULM Home-and-Home

LAFAYETTE – Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Volleyball is set for a home-and-home weekend set with in-state Sun Belt Conference foe ULM, starting in Monroe on Friday and concluding Sunday with the 2019 season home finale at Earl K. Long Gym.

First serve in Monroe on Friday is set for 6 p.m., while the Sunday matinee at E.K. Long begins at Noon followed by Louisiana's Senior Day festivities following the conclusion of the match.

The Ragin' Cajuns (10-15, 6-6 Sun Belt), coming off a five-set win over SBC West champion Texas State on Sunday, seek to strengthen their bid for a spot in the upcoming SBC Tournament (Nov. 21-24 in San Marcos, Texas).

Louisiana enters the weekend against the Warhawks (11-17, 1-11 Sun Belt) winners of five of the past six matches which has vaulted the squad to one-half game out of second place in the SBC West – which guarantees a spot in the conference tournament – and to the forefront in the race for the next best four records outside the top two division spots.

The Ragin' Cajuns have found success on the road in SBC play, coming away successful in the previous two attempts on the league's Georgia trip and claiming three road wins overall.

During the recent turnaround following a 1-5 start to league play, Louisiana has increased its hitting percentage to .221, while limiting foes to a .164 clip, averaged 13-plus kills per set and excelled in serve-and-pass by out-acing foes by a 34-12 count.

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 26: Louisiana (10-15, 6-6 Sun Belt) at ULM (11-17, 1-11 Sun Belt)
Friday, Nov. 8 • 6:00 p.m. (CST) • Fant-Ewing Coliseum (7,000) • Monroe, La.
Stream: ULMWarhawks.com/Watch
Series: Louisiana leads 49-21
Last Meeting in Monroe: 11/4/18 – ULM W, 3-0 (29-27, 25-18, 25-23)
Watch | Live Stats

Match 27: Louisiana (10-15, 6-6 Sun Belt) vs. ULM (11-17, 1-11 Sun Belt)
Sunday, Nov. 10 • 12:00 p.m. (CST) • Earl K. Long Gym (1,121) • Lafayette, La.
Stream: RaginCajuns.com/Watch
Series: Louisiana leads 49-21
Last Meeting at E.K. Long: 11/2/18 – Louisiana W, 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 25-19, 19-25, 15-11)
Watch | Live Stats

COACH MAZEITIS-FONTENOT'S THOUGHTS
On the mindset during the season's stretch run
"We're in the driver's seat of our own destiny. From this point forward, we need to keep everything the same and prepare the same way. Our team realizes that each match is just as important as the next one – no matter what the records are.

Each match has its own story. From a coaching standpoint our goal will be to keep them in the same mind set and working hard every day."

SET POINTS

Sunday's match at Earl K. Long Gym marks the final career matches at home for seniors Dree'Ana Abram and Darby O'Grady.
The Ragin' Cajuns and Warhawks matchups have been extremely competitive in recent years, regardless of records. Beginning with a Nov. 2014 matchup at E.K. Long Gym, the squads battled to five sets in five consecutive meetings. Only three times in the last 10 matchups has either team left with a straight sets sweep.
This is the third consecutive season in which the Ragin' Cajuns and Warhawks complete their Sun Belt Conference matchups in the same weekend.
Louisiana gained valuable results during last weekend's homestand against UT Arlington and Texas State: claiming two sets from UTA secured the head-to-head tiebreaker from the Mavs, while the win over the Bobcats kept the squad in the hunt for second place in the division (a guaranteed spot in the SBC Tournament).
Louisiana's position in the race for a Sun Belt Conference Tournament spot continued to brighten with last Sunday's win over Texas State. The Ragin' Cajuns gained a game on Appalachian State in the standings, and created extra distance from the Arkansas and Georgia schools.
By claiming the head-to-head tiebreaker with UT Arlington, Louisiana now controls its own destiny in the race for second place in the SBC West which guarantees a Top 4 seed in the conference tournament and a bye from opening day play.
Hali Wisnoskie stretched her streak of consecutive matches with double digit kills to six straight, recorded a new career-high in kills and averaged 4.30 kills per set last weekend against UT Arlington and Texas State.
Against Texas State, Hali Wisnoskie fired off 25 kills on a .333 hitting percentage to eclipse her previous career-high total of 22 set back in 2017 against Nicholls State.
The past three weekends has been a revival of sorts for Hali Wisnoskie, who has returned to the form which made her an All-Sun Belt performer in 2017 and 2018. During the six-match stretch she is averaging 4.30 kills per set on a .267 hitting percentage.
By totaling 99 kills over the past six matches, Hali Wisnoskie has placed herself on the verge of another 300-plus kills season. She enters the final two weeks of the regular season with 266 kills, leaving her 34 shy of a third consecutive 300-plus kills campaign.
Dree'Ana Abram is three 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).
The margin in key statistical categories against Texas State was slim. Louisiana found its separation at the service line, out-acing Texas State 8-2 including two critical ones by Avery Breaux in the early fifth-set run.
The Ragin' Cajuns hold a 56-36 lead over foes in service aces in Sun Belt Conference play. The team's 36 reception errors are the fewest amongst all teams in conference matches.
Louisiana has hit above .200 in seven of the past eight matches, and has raised its hitting percentage to .204 in Sun Belt Conference play.
In Sun Belt play, Hali Wisnoskie (3.43 kills per set) and Dree'Ana Abram (2.60 kills per set) lead the charge for Louisiana. Wisnoskie has scored 161 kills and Abram has produced 122.
Kelsey Bennett has developed as a third weapon in the Louisiana attack in SBC play, delivering both offensively (113 kills) and defensively (164 digs) in league play.
During the UTA-Texas State homestand, Kelsey Bennett scored 26 kills and collected 38 digs – the fourth time in SBC play she posted a weekend of 10-plus kills with 20-plus digs.
Tia Jade Smith has spearheaded the Ragin' Cajuns frontline efforts in Sun Belt play, averaging 1.02 blocks per set. She's posted 41 total blocks (12 BS, 29 BA) in league matches, increasing her season total to 74 (21 BS, 53 BA) which is a personal-best figure.
Avery Breaux has hit the 30-plus assists mark 11 times in 12 SBC outings. She's averaging 10.06 assists per set since the onset of league play – the same time she took over the team's 5-1 offensive attack.
Hannah Ramirez is coming off back-to-back 20-plus dig efforts, highlighted by a season-high tying 24 digs vs. UT Arlington. It was her first back-to-back 20-plus efforts since mid-September.
Louisiana has made it tough for opposing foes to find the floor, averaging 17.37 digs per set – a figure which ranks Top 20 nationally and leads the Sun Belt Conference. The Ragin' Cajuns have scooped at least 50 digs in all but two matches.

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 concludes regular season play Friday-Saturday, Nov. 15-16 on the road in the state of Arkansas, competing in Sun Belt Conference rematches against Arkansas State and Little Rock.

The Ragin' Cajuns first stop is in Jonesboro on Friday for a 5 p.m. meeting with the Red Wolves. The trip concludes Saturday evening in Little Rock with first serve against the Trojans set for 6:30 p.m.

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 -

Stretch Run for Louisiana Volleyball Begins With ULM Home-and-Home

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Players Mentioned

Dree'Ana Abram

Elise Baranco

Kara Barnes

Kelsey Bennett

Avery Breaux

Milayne Danna

Celeste Darling

Chanelle Gardner

Desiree Johnson

Darby O'Grady

Hannah Ramirez

Tia Jade Smith

Claire Turner

Hali Wisnoskie

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University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics

Stretch Run for Louisiana Volleyball Begins With ULM Home-and-Home

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Next Event

Players Mentioned

Dree'Ana Abram

Elise Baranco

Kara Barnes

Kelsey Bennett

Avery Breaux

Milayne Danna

Celeste Darling

Chanelle Gardner

Desiree Johnson

Darby O'Grady

Hannah Ramirez

Tia Jade Smith

Claire Turner

Hali Wisnoskie

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