University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Friday, October 30
Lafayette
6:00 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
11-13, 6-5SBC
2
vs
3
Southern Miss
15-7, 6-5SBC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Miss | 22 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 15 | 3 |
| Louisiana | 25 | 20 | 23 | 26 | 9 | 2 |
10/30/2026 11:19:00 PM | Volleyball
Cajuns fight off two match points to force deciding set; Schnell leads offense with 20 kills
LAFAYETTE – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Volleyball team fought off two match points to force a fifth set, but Southern Miss slipped by in the deciding frame for a 3-2 victory on Friday, October 30 at E.K. Long Gym.
Sarah Schnell delivered a career-high 20 kills on .319 hitting to the lead the charge for Louisiana which came up just short 25-22, 20-25, 22-25, 26-24, 9-15. The Ragin' Cajuns dropped to 11-13 overall and 6-5 in Sun Belt Conference play, while the Golden Eagles improved to 15-7 and 6-5.
With the result, USM holds all the cards in the pivotal series that places the winner in the driver's seat for a Top 3 spot in the SBC West and a first-round bye in the SBC Tournament. Louisiana still can gain the all-important tiebreaker on Saturday.
Louisiana held advantages in digs (94-82) and blocks (10-9), but Southern Miss finished with 65 kills to UL's 61 and a .210-.175 edge in hitting percentage. Four of the Golden Eagles' six aces came in the final set.
Grace Sweeney contributed 16 kills and 14 digs, while Lolo Lambert added 13 kills and 11 digs. Kennedy Gustafson collected a match-high 22 digs and 12 assists.
Rhyan Miciotto totaled 25 assists and 15 digs, and Ryleigh Garis finished with 20 assists and 15 digs. Williams led Louisiana with six blocks, followed by Schnell with five.
Sadie McAda paced Southern Miss with 20 kills, while Aubrey Judd added 18 on .455 hitting.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Cajuns opened a 15-8 lead in the first set and withstood Southern Miss' push within one point. Louisiana regained separation with four consecutive points for a 22-17 advantage, then finished off the opening frame.
USM broke a 14-all tie in the second set and used an 18-kill attack to even the match. In the third, Louisiana led 18-16 before surrendering six straight points. The Cajuns rallied into a 23-all tie, but consecutive Golden Eagles kills provided the difference.
UL answered with 17 kills in the fourth set, then delivered its biggest response with the match on the line. Trailing 24-22, Emily Williams started a four-point closing run with a kill. Two Southern Miss attack errors followed before Jazmine Gaston's ace forced the deciding set.
Schnell supplied four early kills in the fifth as Louisiana moved ahead 5-3. Southern Miss countered with a 6-1 run and hit .350 in the frame to secure the victory.
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana and Southern Miss complete the two-match Sun Belt Conference series on Saturday, October 31 at 2:00 p.m. at E.K. Long Gym. Live video coverage is available on ESPN+.
The Ragin' Cajuns seek to split the series, earn the head-to-head tiebreaker and regain their one-game lead over the Golden Eagles in the SBC West Division standings which would provide the inside track to a first-round bye at the SBC Tournament.
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).
Sarah Schnell delivered a career-high 20 kills on .319 hitting to the lead the charge for Louisiana which came up just short 25-22, 20-25, 22-25, 26-24, 9-15. The Ragin' Cajuns dropped to 11-13 overall and 6-5 in Sun Belt Conference play, while the Golden Eagles improved to 15-7 and 6-5.
With the result, USM holds all the cards in the pivotal series that places the winner in the driver's seat for a Top 3 spot in the SBC West and a first-round bye in the SBC Tournament. Louisiana still can gain the all-important tiebreaker on Saturday.
Louisiana held advantages in digs (94-82) and blocks (10-9), but Southern Miss finished with 65 kills to UL's 61 and a .210-.175 edge in hitting percentage. Four of the Golden Eagles' six aces came in the final set.
Grace Sweeney contributed 16 kills and 14 digs, while Lolo Lambert added 13 kills and 11 digs. Kennedy Gustafson collected a match-high 22 digs and 12 assists.
Rhyan Miciotto totaled 25 assists and 15 digs, and Ryleigh Garis finished with 20 assists and 15 digs. Williams led Louisiana with six blocks, followed by Schnell with five.
Sadie McAda paced Southern Miss with 20 kills, while Aubrey Judd added 18 on .455 hitting.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Cajuns opened a 15-8 lead in the first set and withstood Southern Miss' push within one point. Louisiana regained separation with four consecutive points for a 22-17 advantage, then finished off the opening frame.
USM broke a 14-all tie in the second set and used an 18-kill attack to even the match. In the third, Louisiana led 18-16 before surrendering six straight points. The Cajuns rallied into a 23-all tie, but consecutive Golden Eagles kills provided the difference.
UL answered with 17 kills in the fourth set, then delivered its biggest response with the match on the line. Trailing 24-22, Emily Williams started a four-point closing run with a kill. Two Southern Miss attack errors followed before Jazmine Gaston's ace forced the deciding set.
Schnell supplied four early kills in the fifth as Louisiana moved ahead 5-3. Southern Miss countered with a 6-1 run and hit .350 in the frame to secure the victory.
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana and Southern Miss complete the two-match Sun Belt Conference series on Saturday, October 31 at 2:00 p.m. at E.K. Long Gym. Live video coverage is available on ESPN+.
The Ragin' Cajuns seek to split the series, earn the head-to-head tiebreaker and regain their one-game lead over the Golden Eagles in the SBC West Division standings which would provide the inside track to a first-round bye at the SBC Tournament.
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
S
/ Volleyball
OPP
/ Volleyball
L
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
OPP
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
MB
/ VolleyballTeam Stats
USM
UL
Kills
65
61
Errors
24
29
Attempts
195
183
Hitting %
.210
.175
Points
80.0
75.0
Assists
60
58
Aces
6
4
Blocks
9.0
10.0
Game Leaders
Kills
20
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Kills
16
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
13
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Kills
6
Aces
1
Blocks
3
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