University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Mid-Season Reflections With Volleyball's Kristi Gray
10/4/2023 2:58:00 PM | Volleyball
LAFAYETTE - The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Volleyball team wrapped up the first half of the 2023 season during the final weekend of September, coming away with one of its strongest performances to date.
Louisiana (11-7, 2-2 Sun Belt) delivered a statement response to its Sun Belt opening weekend setback at home against Troy, opening a four-match road stretch with a series sweep of Arkansas State in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The success was led by a revival both from the offense, which averaged 14.9 kills per set on .250 hitting, and from the defensive efforts which forced ASU to be extremely high-error and hit a paltry .101.
With their record back even in SBC play, the Ragin' Cajuns cross over into the second half of the season from October 6-7 in San Marcos, Texas, wrapping up the road stretch with a two-match series at West division rival Texas State.
Balance and working together has been the common theme to the Cajuns' success early on in the 2023 campaign - a factor which head coach Kristi Gray feels separates her squad from the competition.
Through six weeks of action, Louisiana has seen five different players post 100 kills, led by the duo of Shyia Richardson (203 kills) and Celeste Darling (174 kills) at outside hitter, and four different players collect at least 130 digs, led by the libero combination of Mio Yamamoto (206 digs) and Kennedy Gustafson (194 digs).
As the race for the Sun Belt Conference crown begins to ramp up, Gray took a moment to reflect on the first half of the season and give insight into the quick turnaround after the conference opener.
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Q: Taking a look back at the first half of the season, how would you assess the team's performance?Â
KG: "I am pleased with our team's overall performance. We have been challenged in a lot of ways, but the team has done a great job of battling and growing through it all."
Q: How important was the team's strong response in the Arkansas State series? What was your main takeaway, or message to the team, following the performance?
KG: "This was a big series win for us. Arkansas State is a good, athletic team that does not give up. We challenged our team all week after the two losses to Troy - and they responded extremely well. I believe that this played a big part in us winning that series because our players worked hard and did not give up; we fought until the end. I told the team how proud of them I was for not giving up, that they are capable of doing great things when they put their minds to it."
Q: Based on first-half performances, who are the players who have stood out and those who have maybe been a surprise or exceeded expectations?
KG:Â "I think one of the great things about our team is that there aren't just a couple of players who stick out. Defensively, we have multiple people who are producing, and offensively we are able to spread our offense really well."
Q: What will be the main keys - or points of emphasis - in the second half of the season in order for the team to reach its goals?
KG:Â "I think that we continue to grow each day by working hard and pushing each individual to where they think their limits are. That's where they realize they do have more to give than they thought. By having a strong mindset, they will continue to get better and battle every match."
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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.
All remaining matches in the 2023 season can be viewed on ESPN+ and live stats are available on CajunStats.com.
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Louisiana (11-7, 2-2 Sun Belt) delivered a statement response to its Sun Belt opening weekend setback at home against Troy, opening a four-match road stretch with a series sweep of Arkansas State in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The success was led by a revival both from the offense, which averaged 14.9 kills per set on .250 hitting, and from the defensive efforts which forced ASU to be extremely high-error and hit a paltry .101.
With their record back even in SBC play, the Ragin' Cajuns cross over into the second half of the season from October 6-7 in San Marcos, Texas, wrapping up the road stretch with a two-match series at West division rival Texas State.
Balance and working together has been the common theme to the Cajuns' success early on in the 2023 campaign - a factor which head coach Kristi Gray feels separates her squad from the competition.
Through six weeks of action, Louisiana has seen five different players post 100 kills, led by the duo of Shyia Richardson (203 kills) and Celeste Darling (174 kills) at outside hitter, and four different players collect at least 130 digs, led by the libero combination of Mio Yamamoto (206 digs) and Kennedy Gustafson (194 digs).
As the race for the Sun Belt Conference crown begins to ramp up, Gray took a moment to reflect on the first half of the season and give insight into the quick turnaround after the conference opener.
Â
Q: Taking a look back at the first half of the season, how would you assess the team's performance?Â
KG: "I am pleased with our team's overall performance. We have been challenged in a lot of ways, but the team has done a great job of battling and growing through it all."
Q: How important was the team's strong response in the Arkansas State series? What was your main takeaway, or message to the team, following the performance?
KG: "This was a big series win for us. Arkansas State is a good, athletic team that does not give up. We challenged our team all week after the two losses to Troy - and they responded extremely well. I believe that this played a big part in us winning that series because our players worked hard and did not give up; we fought until the end. I told the team how proud of them I was for not giving up, that they are capable of doing great things when they put their minds to it."
Q: Based on first-half performances, who are the players who have stood out and those who have maybe been a surprise or exceeded expectations?
KG:Â "I think one of the great things about our team is that there aren't just a couple of players who stick out. Defensively, we have multiple people who are producing, and offensively we are able to spread our offense really well."
Q: What will be the main keys - or points of emphasis - in the second half of the season in order for the team to reach its goals?
KG:Â "I think that we continue to grow each day by working hard and pushing each individual to where they think their limits are. That's where they realize they do have more to give than they thought. By having a strong mindset, they will continue to get better and battle every match."
Â
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.
All remaining matches in the 2023 season can be viewed on ESPN+ and live stats are available on CajunStats.com.
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- www.RaginCajuns.com -
Players Mentioned
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