University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Friday, September 1
Lubbock, Texas
4:30 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
vs
Texas A&M-Commerce
Louisiana Aims to Keep Positive Momentum Rising in Lubbock
8/31/2023 2:29:00 PM | Volleyball
First ranked win in 10 years began the week, now Cajuns tackle the Red Raider Classic
LUBBOCK, Texas – Coming off the program's first ranked win in 10 years – and first Top 20 win of the century – the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Volleyball team pursues continued success when tournament play resumes in the Red Raider Classic at Texas Tech's United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas.
Louisiana (3-1) begins play in Lubbock on Friday at 4:30 p.m. vs. Texas A&M-Commerce, then concludes the visit with a Saturday doubleheader featuring matches against Wyoming at 11:30 a.m. and Texas Tech at 7:00 p.m.
All matches in the Red Raider Classic will be streamed on ESPN+. Live stats can be accessed at CajunStats.com.
The Ragin Cajuns started the week with a resounding straight sets (25-17, 25-22, 25-19) sweep of No. 18 Rice sparked by a combined 24 kills from Shyia Richardson and Celeste Darling and a swarming defense that held the Owls to a .082 hitting percentage. It was the first win over a ranked team since October 2013 vs. WKU.
Richardson has led the UL offense early on, totaling double figures in kills all four matches and averaging 4.9 kills per set on a .223 hitting percentage. She fired off 14 kills (4.7/set) in the sweep of Rice.
The Cajuns defense has pulled up an average of 15.6 digs per set and is led by freshman libero Kennedy Gustafson's 3.8 digs per set as well as Siena DeCambra, Richardson and Mio Yamamoto who are each averaging two-plus digs per set.
The trip to Lubbock takes head coach Kristi Gray back to her alma mater for the first time as a collegiate head coach. Gray completed her undergraduate studies at Texas Tech, receiving her bachelor's degree in 2012.
Louisiana Volleyball at Red Raider Classic
Friday-Saturday, Sept. 1-2 | Lubbock, Texas (United Supermarkets Arena)
Friday, Sept. 1 vs. Texas A&M-Commerce // Lubbock, Texas // 4:30 p.m.
ESPN+ | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
Saturday, Sept. 2 vs. Wyoming // Lubbock, Texas // 11:30 a.m.
ESPN+ | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
Saturday, Sept. 2 at Texas Tech // Lubbock, Texas // 7:00 p.m.
ESPN+ | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
SERIES HISTORY
- Texas A&M-Commerce: First Meeting
- Wyoming: First Meeting
- Texas Tech: TTU leads, 4-0 | Last match: L, 0-3 on 8/28/2015 in Lubbock, Texas
Streak: TTU +4
SERVICE ACES
= Coming off a ranked road victory, Louisiana seeks to keep the early season success going in Lubbock, Texas at Texas Tech's Red Raider Classic.
= The trip to Lubbock is a homecoming for head coach Kristi Gray, an alumna of Texas Tech who earned her bachelor's degree in 2012.
= UL meets a pair of first-time opponents, Texas A&M-Commerce and Wyoming, before a Saturday showdown with host-Texas Tech.
= The road sweep of #18 Rice was the first ranked win of the Kristi Gray era and first ranked win for a Cajuns team since October 2013 vs. WKU.
= The Cajuns finished as runner-up at the StarkVegas Classic on opening weekend, winning the first eight sets of play and were one set shy of capturing the title from Mississippi State.
= Shyia Richardson netted at least 17 kills each match, averaged 4.9 kills per set, and scored at least five kills in eight of 11 sets played in Starkville.
= Setter Siena DeCambra averaged 11.0 assists per set and directed UL's offense to a season-opening streak of eight consecutive sets won.
= An expected strength, UL's offense hit .250-plus with 40-plus kills in sweeping its way to a 2-0 start. The squad followed with 56 kills vs. Mississippi State.
= Cami Hicks, an All-Sun Belt selection in 2022, posted a career-high 107 blocks last season.
= Kara Barnes has hit .310-plus the past three seasons, tallying 150-plus kills each time. Barnes has also eclipsed 70 blocks each year during the streak.
= Third-year setter Siena DeCambra has started in Louisiana's 6-2 system each of the past two seasons, handing out 500-plus helpers both times.
= All three of Louisiana's opposite hitters – Celeste Darling, Emery Judkins and Mya Wilson – produced 100-plus kills in the 2022 season.
= Lauryn Hill, who posted 109 kills in SBC play as a freshman in 2022, and San Francisco transfer Shyia Richardson, coming off back-to-back 200-kills seasons, are the frontrunners to take over as the Cajuns point producers at outside hitter.
= Freshman Kennedy Gustafson has taken hold of libero duties. She hauled in 600-plus digs each of her final two years at Houston area's Summer Creek HS.
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana heads into the final week of its season-opening road stretch which takes the squad east on Interstate 10.
First up is a morning midweek matchup in Baton Rouge on Wednesday, September 6 at LSU with first serve at the PMAC set for 11:00 a.m. The contest will be streamed on SEC Network Plus.
From Baton Rouge, the Ragin Cajuns move on to Jacksonville, Florida for the UNF Invitational from Friday-Saturday, September 8-9. UL is scheduled for matches against Charlotte, North Florida and Texas Southern.
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.
Louisiana (3-1) begins play in Lubbock on Friday at 4:30 p.m. vs. Texas A&M-Commerce, then concludes the visit with a Saturday doubleheader featuring matches against Wyoming at 11:30 a.m. and Texas Tech at 7:00 p.m.
All matches in the Red Raider Classic will be streamed on ESPN+. Live stats can be accessed at CajunStats.com.
The Ragin Cajuns started the week with a resounding straight sets (25-17, 25-22, 25-19) sweep of No. 18 Rice sparked by a combined 24 kills from Shyia Richardson and Celeste Darling and a swarming defense that held the Owls to a .082 hitting percentage. It was the first win over a ranked team since October 2013 vs. WKU.
Richardson has led the UL offense early on, totaling double figures in kills all four matches and averaging 4.9 kills per set on a .223 hitting percentage. She fired off 14 kills (4.7/set) in the sweep of Rice.
The Cajuns defense has pulled up an average of 15.6 digs per set and is led by freshman libero Kennedy Gustafson's 3.8 digs per set as well as Siena DeCambra, Richardson and Mio Yamamoto who are each averaging two-plus digs per set.
The trip to Lubbock takes head coach Kristi Gray back to her alma mater for the first time as a collegiate head coach. Gray completed her undergraduate studies at Texas Tech, receiving her bachelor's degree in 2012.
Louisiana Volleyball at Red Raider Classic
Friday-Saturday, Sept. 1-2 | Lubbock, Texas (United Supermarkets Arena)
Friday, Sept. 1 vs. Texas A&M-Commerce // Lubbock, Texas // 4:30 p.m.
ESPN+ | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
Saturday, Sept. 2 vs. Wyoming // Lubbock, Texas // 11:30 a.m.
ESPN+ | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
Saturday, Sept. 2 at Texas Tech // Lubbock, Texas // 7:00 p.m.
ESPN+ | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
SERIES HISTORY
- Texas A&M-Commerce: First Meeting
- Wyoming: First Meeting
- Texas Tech: TTU leads, 4-0 | Last match: L, 0-3 on 8/28/2015 in Lubbock, Texas
Streak: TTU +4
SERVICE ACES
= Coming off a ranked road victory, Louisiana seeks to keep the early season success going in Lubbock, Texas at Texas Tech's Red Raider Classic.
= The trip to Lubbock is a homecoming for head coach Kristi Gray, an alumna of Texas Tech who earned her bachelor's degree in 2012.
= UL meets a pair of first-time opponents, Texas A&M-Commerce and Wyoming, before a Saturday showdown with host-Texas Tech.
= The road sweep of #18 Rice was the first ranked win of the Kristi Gray era and first ranked win for a Cajuns team since October 2013 vs. WKU.
= The Cajuns finished as runner-up at the StarkVegas Classic on opening weekend, winning the first eight sets of play and were one set shy of capturing the title from Mississippi State.
= Shyia Richardson netted at least 17 kills each match, averaged 4.9 kills per set, and scored at least five kills in eight of 11 sets played in Starkville.
= Setter Siena DeCambra averaged 11.0 assists per set and directed UL's offense to a season-opening streak of eight consecutive sets won.
= An expected strength, UL's offense hit .250-plus with 40-plus kills in sweeping its way to a 2-0 start. The squad followed with 56 kills vs. Mississippi State.
= Cami Hicks, an All-Sun Belt selection in 2022, posted a career-high 107 blocks last season.
= Kara Barnes has hit .310-plus the past three seasons, tallying 150-plus kills each time. Barnes has also eclipsed 70 blocks each year during the streak.
= Third-year setter Siena DeCambra has started in Louisiana's 6-2 system each of the past two seasons, handing out 500-plus helpers both times.
= All three of Louisiana's opposite hitters – Celeste Darling, Emery Judkins and Mya Wilson – produced 100-plus kills in the 2022 season.
= Lauryn Hill, who posted 109 kills in SBC play as a freshman in 2022, and San Francisco transfer Shyia Richardson, coming off back-to-back 200-kills seasons, are the frontrunners to take over as the Cajuns point producers at outside hitter.
= Freshman Kennedy Gustafson has taken hold of libero duties. She hauled in 600-plus digs each of her final two years at Houston area's Summer Creek HS.
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana heads into the final week of its season-opening road stretch which takes the squad east on Interstate 10.
First up is a morning midweek matchup in Baton Rouge on Wednesday, September 6 at LSU with first serve at the PMAC set for 11:00 a.m. The contest will be streamed on SEC Network Plus.
From Baton Rouge, the Ragin Cajuns move on to Jacksonville, Florida for the UNF Invitational from Friday-Saturday, September 8-9. UL is scheduled for matches against Charlotte, North Florida and Texas Southern.
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 -
Players Mentioned
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