University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Thursday, October 1
Lafayette
6:00 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
6-10, 1-2SBC
1
vs
3
Arkansas State
7-7, 3-0SBC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas State | 25 | 19 | 27 | 25 | 3 |
| Louisiana | 16 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 1 |
Cajuns Challenge Red Wolves in Sun Belt Home Opener
10/1/2026 10:19:00 PM | Volleyball
Louisiana wins second set convincingly before Red Wolves rally late in the third and fourth
LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Volleyball team bounced back with a commanding second-set victory and built late leads in the next two frames, but Arkansas State rallied each time to squeeze out a 3-1 win on Thursday, October 1 at E.K. Long Gym in the opening match of a Sun Belt Conference series.
The Red Wolves escaped with a 25-16, 19-25, 27-25, 25-21 victory after Louisiana held a 20-16 advantage in the third set and a 19-15 lead in the fourth.
Louisiana (6-10, 1-2 SBC) delivered its strongest offensive performance in the second set, producing 16 kills against two errors for a .424 hitting percentage, marking the start back-and-forth blows the two sides traded on offense the remainder of the contest.
Arkansas State (7-7, 3-0 SBC) finished with a 58-51 advantage in kills and outhit the Cajuns .277-.189, while Louisiana held a 7-6 edge in blocks. The tightly contested match saw a near-even balance in total attacks with UL holding a 143-141 edge and in digs where ASU had the 59-56 advantage.
Marlee Ervin paced Louisiana with 16 kills, and Sarah Schnell added 13 on .321 hitting. Emily Williams and Grace Sweeney contributed eight kills apiece, with Williams hitting .333.
Rhyan Miciotto distributed 23 assists and collected nine digs. Ryleigh Garis recorded a double-double with 15 assists and 11 digs, while Kennedy Gustafson led the defense with 13 digs. Sweeney added 11 digs, and Lindsey Henry supplied three blocks in the fourth set.
Kaitlin Whitlock led the Red Wolves with 17 kills and 10 digs. Parker Stearns added nine kills over the final two sets, including six in the fourth.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After Arkansas State used a five-point run to break a 9-all tie and take control of the opener, Louisiana responded immediately.
The Ragin' Cajuns never trailed in the second set, jumping ahead 5-1 and stretching the margin to 12-5. Ervin powered the response with six kills, while Williams supplied five. When the Red Wolves narrowed the gap to 18-16, Louisiana answered with seven of the final 10 points, sealing the set on Williams' ace.
UL carried that momentum into the third, racing ahead 8-2. Consecutive Ervin kills later established an 18-13 cushion, but Arkansas State erased a 20-16 deficit and moved ahead. The Ragin' Cajuns fought off three set points, including a Schnell kill that tied it at 25, before the visitors claimed the final two rallies.
In the fourth, consecutive Miciotto aces helped Louisiana move in front, and Henry participated in three blocks as the lead grew to 15-11. The Cajuns still led 19-15 before Arkansas State closed on a 10-2 run, including six straight points after Louisiana went ahead 20-18.
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana and Arkansas State complete the two-match Sun Belt Conference series at E.K. Long Gym on Friday, October 2 with first serve scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
The Ragin' Cajuns seek to gain a split of the series and look to break the Red Wolves five-match win streak in the overall series.
The UL Volleyball program is continuing its Alumni Weekend celebration, recognizing alums in attendance between the second and third set.
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.
Fans can support the volleyball student-athletes, and invest in the program's future, through The Cajuns Edge Fund (click here) to contribute directly to the Louisiana Athletics and Ragin' Cajuns Athletic Foundation's revenue-sharing initiative or by joining the Back Reaux Club (click here).
The Red Wolves escaped with a 25-16, 19-25, 27-25, 25-21 victory after Louisiana held a 20-16 advantage in the third set and a 19-15 lead in the fourth.
Louisiana (6-10, 1-2 SBC) delivered its strongest offensive performance in the second set, producing 16 kills against two errors for a .424 hitting percentage, marking the start back-and-forth blows the two sides traded on offense the remainder of the contest.
Arkansas State (7-7, 3-0 SBC) finished with a 58-51 advantage in kills and outhit the Cajuns .277-.189, while Louisiana held a 7-6 edge in blocks. The tightly contested match saw a near-even balance in total attacks with UL holding a 143-141 edge and in digs where ASU had the 59-56 advantage.
Marlee Ervin paced Louisiana with 16 kills, and Sarah Schnell added 13 on .321 hitting. Emily Williams and Grace Sweeney contributed eight kills apiece, with Williams hitting .333.
Rhyan Miciotto distributed 23 assists and collected nine digs. Ryleigh Garis recorded a double-double with 15 assists and 11 digs, while Kennedy Gustafson led the defense with 13 digs. Sweeney added 11 digs, and Lindsey Henry supplied three blocks in the fourth set.
Kaitlin Whitlock led the Red Wolves with 17 kills and 10 digs. Parker Stearns added nine kills over the final two sets, including six in the fourth.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After Arkansas State used a five-point run to break a 9-all tie and take control of the opener, Louisiana responded immediately.
The Ragin' Cajuns never trailed in the second set, jumping ahead 5-1 and stretching the margin to 12-5. Ervin powered the response with six kills, while Williams supplied five. When the Red Wolves narrowed the gap to 18-16, Louisiana answered with seven of the final 10 points, sealing the set on Williams' ace.
UL carried that momentum into the third, racing ahead 8-2. Consecutive Ervin kills later established an 18-13 cushion, but Arkansas State erased a 20-16 deficit and moved ahead. The Ragin' Cajuns fought off three set points, including a Schnell kill that tied it at 25, before the visitors claimed the final two rallies.
In the fourth, consecutive Miciotto aces helped Louisiana move in front, and Henry participated in three blocks as the lead grew to 15-11. The Cajuns still led 19-15 before Arkansas State closed on a 10-2 run, including six straight points after Louisiana went ahead 20-18.
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana and Arkansas State complete the two-match Sun Belt Conference series at E.K. Long Gym on Friday, October 2 with first serve scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
The Ragin' Cajuns seek to gain a split of the series and look to break the Red Wolves five-match win streak in the overall series.
The UL Volleyball program is continuing its Alumni Weekend celebration, recognizing alums in attendance between the second and third set.
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.
Fans can support the volleyball student-athletes, and invest in the program's future, through The Cajuns Edge Fund (click here) to contribute directly to the Louisiana Athletics and Ragin' Cajuns Athletic Foundation's revenue-sharing initiative or by joining the Back Reaux Club (click here).
- www.RaginCajuns.com -
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
L
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
OPP
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
MB
/ VolleyballTeam Stats
ASU
UL
Kills
58
51
Errors
19
24
Attempts
141
143
Hitting %
.277
.189
Points
68.0
63.0
Assists
57
47
Aces
4
5
Blocks
6.0
7.0
Game Leaders
Kills
16
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
8
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Kills
8
Aces
2
Blocks
2
Monday, September 28
Monday, September 21
Monday, September 14
Monday, September 07
