Louisiana Volleyball Sweeps Alabama to Begin Weekend in Fort Worth

FORT WORTH, Texas – A dominant first set performance set the tone for the match as the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Volleyball team captured a straight sets sweep over Alabama (25-12, 25-19, 25-17) on Friday, September 16 to begin play in the Horned Frog Invitational at TCU's Schollmaier Arena.

The Ragin' Cajuns (5-3) stormed out to an 8-0 lead, were up by a dozen at 19-7 after back-to-back Kelsey Bennett kills and were never threatened in claiming the first set of the program's first win over an SEC foe since the 2001 season (Mississippi State).

Louisiana calmly recovered after early deficits in the final two sets, then put the Crimson Tide (5-5) away in the late stages each time.

A 6-0 push ending with back-to-back combo blocks from Bennett and Kara Barnes put the Ragin' Cajuns ahead 12-10 in the second set. A pair of Lauryn Hill kills ended back-and-forth play and gave Louisiana space at 17-14, then at 21-19 Barnes slammed home a kill to begin a 4-0 set-ending run that secured a commanding 2-0 match lead.

The Ragin' Cajuns established control in the third set when a Cami Hicks ace put the squad up 11-10, completing the rally from a 10-7 deficit. The lead was upheld with the finishing touches coming during a stretch of four kills that stretched out a 19-15 advantage.

Louisiana put forth a decisively more efficient attack, finishing with a .286 hitting percentage (39 K, 11 E, 98 TA). The defense worked to limit Alabama to a .036 hitting percentage (28 K, 24 E, 110 TA).

LEADING THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Bennett (15) and Hill (12) sparked the offense with a combined 27 kills. It marked the seventh double-digit effort from Bennett and a season-high tally for Hill.

The Ragin' Cajuns held an 11-7 edge in total blocks, paced by six from Hicks and five from Barnes. The match total pushed Barnes past 200 blocks in her career.

Four different players rounded up at least eight digs, spearheading a group effort that gave Louisiana a 47-41 edge in the match. Hill's match-high 13 digs resulted in her recording her first collegiate double-double.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana faces Abilene Christian on Saturday, September 17 to complete its stay in Fort Worth, Texas at TCU's Horned Frog Invitational in Schollmaier Arena. The Ragin' Cajuns and Wildcats and scheduled to meet at approximately 3:30 p.m.

Fans can track the match through the live stats link on the volleyball schedule page at RaginCajuns.com or with twitter updates on the team's official account @RaginCajunsVB.

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.

Fans are also encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here for iOS/Apple platforms and here for Android platforms.

- www.RaginCajuns.com -

Louisiana Volleyball Sweeps Alabama to Begin Weekend in Fort Worth

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Team Stats

Kelsey Bennett

Lauryn Hill

Cami Hicks

Mya Wilson

Players Mentioned

Kara Barnes

Kelsey Bennett

Cami Hicks

Lauryn Hill

Players Mentioned

Kara Barnes

Kelsey Bennett

Cami Hicks

Lauryn Hill

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