University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Friday, September 27
San Marcos, Texas
6:30 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
at
Texas State
Ragin’ Cajuns Set for Texas Trek on Sun Belt Opening Weekend
9/26/2019 4:40:00 PM | Volleyball
Trip westward closes out three-week road trip for Louisiana Volleyball
LAFAYETTE – A three-week road trip ends and Sun Belt Conference play begins when Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Volleyball travels west to Texas for stops in San Marcos and Arlington.
The Ragin' Cajuns (4-9, 0-0 Sun Belt) meet Texas State (8-6, 0-0 Sun Belt) on Friday at Strahan Arena in San Marcos in the 2019 Sun Belt opener. First serve is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. live on ESPN+.
Following the matchup with the Bobcats, Louisiana concludes the weekend trip on Saturday at UT Arlington (8-4, 0-0 Sun Belt) with a 6:30 p.m. match against the Mavericks at College Park Center.
Louisiana wrapped up non-conference play last weekend at the Gators Invitational in Florida. The venture to Texas begins an eight-week stretch of SBC matches which runs through the end of the regular season (Nov. 16).
The Ragin' Cajuns are seeking to turn the corner after falling just short in Gainesville, being separated by just eight points against Northern Arizona and battling Liberty in a five-set affair.
"Our team is playing amazing defense right now," head coach Heather Mazeitis-Fontenot said. "Now we're looking for our offense to land kills at the same level that our defense is collecting digs."
Fans can follow all of the action 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 14: Louisiana (4-9, 0-0 Sun Belt) at Texas State (8-6, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Friday, Sept. 27 • 6:30 p.m. (CDT) • Strahan Arena (10,000) • San Marcos, Texas
Television: ESPN+
Series: Texas State leads 16-1
Last Meeting: 10/26/18 in San Marcos, Texas – Texas State W, 3-2 (19-25, 22-25, 25-19, 25-20, 15-7)
Watch | Live Stats
Match 15: Louisiana (4-9, 0-0 Sun Belt) at UT Arlington (8-4, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Saturday, Sept. 28 • 6:30 p.m. (CDT) • College Park Center (7,000) • Arlington, Texas
Stream: Mavericks All-Access
Series: UT Arlington leads 15-5
Last Meeting: 10/27/18 in Arlington, Texas – Louisiana W, 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 25-21, 16-25, 17-15)
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 for its first home Sun Belt matches of the season set for Friday-Saturday, Oct. 4-5 against Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina.
The weekend begins with the Mountaineers on Friday in a live ESPN+ broadcast (tape-delayed Saturday on Cox Sports TV), followed by a visit from the Chanticleers. Both matches begin at 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.
The Ragin' Cajuns (4-9, 0-0 Sun Belt) meet Texas State (8-6, 0-0 Sun Belt) on Friday at Strahan Arena in San Marcos in the 2019 Sun Belt opener. First serve is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. live on ESPN+.
Following the matchup with the Bobcats, Louisiana concludes the weekend trip on Saturday at UT Arlington (8-4, 0-0 Sun Belt) with a 6:30 p.m. match against the Mavericks at College Park Center.
Louisiana wrapped up non-conference play last weekend at the Gators Invitational in Florida. The venture to Texas begins an eight-week stretch of SBC matches which runs through the end of the regular season (Nov. 16).
The Ragin' Cajuns are seeking to turn the corner after falling just short in Gainesville, being separated by just eight points against Northern Arizona and battling Liberty in a five-set affair.
"Our team is playing amazing defense right now," head coach Heather Mazeitis-Fontenot said. "Now we're looking for our offense to land kills at the same level that our defense is collecting digs."
Fans can follow all of the action 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 14: Louisiana (4-9, 0-0 Sun Belt) at Texas State (8-6, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Friday, Sept. 27 • 6:30 p.m. (CDT) • Strahan Arena (10,000) • San Marcos, Texas
Television: ESPN+
Series: Texas State leads 16-1
Last Meeting: 10/26/18 in San Marcos, Texas – Texas State W, 3-2 (19-25, 22-25, 25-19, 25-20, 15-7)
Watch | Live Stats
Match 15: Louisiana (4-9, 0-0 Sun Belt) at UT Arlington (8-4, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Saturday, Sept. 28 • 6:30 p.m. (CDT) • College Park Center (7,000) • Arlington, Texas
Stream: Mavericks All-Access
Series: UT Arlington leads 15-5
Last Meeting: 10/27/18 in Arlington, Texas – Louisiana W, 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 25-21, 16-25, 17-15)
Watch | Live Stats
SET POINTS
- Louisiana begins its 29th season of competition in the Sun Belt Conference.
- The Ragin' Cajuns have taken Texas State to five sets at Strahan Arena in two of the past three visits (2016, 2018).
- Louisiana brings a four-match win streak over UT Arlington into Saturday's contest. The Ragin' Cajuns have swept the season series each of the past two seasons.
- The Ragin' Cajuns past two weekends were against foes with a combined record of 46-22. The toughness was by design in order to prepare the team for Sun Belt play.
- Louisiana ranks Top 10 nationally in attacks per set (No. 8) and Top 15 nationally in digs per set (No. 11).
- Louisiana averages 17.8 digs per set and has scooped at least 50 digs in all but one match. Last weekend in Florida, the squad averaged 20 digs per set in three-set matches with Northern Arizona and Florida.
- Tia Jade Smith has the hottest hand for Louisiana as Sun Belt play begins. She landed a kill on over half of her swings at Florida, producing 26 kills on 47 swings at a .511 clip. She committed only two attack errors the entire weekend.
- Last Friday against Northern Arizona and Liberty, Tia Jade Smith posted six blocks in both matches and averaged 1.5 blocks per set.
- Hali Wisnoskie led Louisiana in kills in two of the three outings in Gainesville. Her weekend total – which included a season-high 14 kills vs. Liberty – of 32 kills marked her highest weekend output of the season.
- With a team-best eight kills vs. No. 11 Florida, Hali Wisnoskie surpassed the century mark in kills for the third straight season (presently at 105).
- Sophomore Kelsey Bennett matched her career-high of 13 kills in matches with Northern Arizona and Liberty at the Gators Invitational.
- Junior setter Avery Breaux leads the Ragin' Cajuns with seven double-doubles. The past two weeks she tallied double-doubles against Power 5 foes Arizona State, Oklahoma and Florida.
- 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 both total digs and digs per set.
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 for its first home Sun Belt matches of the season set for Friday-Saturday, Oct. 4-5 against Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina.
The weekend begins with the Mountaineers on Friday in a live ESPN+ broadcast (tape-delayed Saturday on Cox Sports TV), followed by a visit from the Chanticleers. Both matches begin at 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 -
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