University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Saturday, August 29
San Marcos, Texas
2:00 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
0-1,0-0Sun Belt
0
vs
3
Oklahoma
2-0,0-0SEC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 14 | 19 | 25 | 0 |
| Oklahoma | 25 | 25 | 27 | 3 |
Cajuns Show Fight in Season-Opening Clash with Oklahoma
8/29/2026 5:30:00 PM | Volleyball
Louisiana forces extra points in a thrilling third set before Sooners hold on
SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Volleyball team battled Oklahoma from start to finish Saturday afternoon in the Texas State Invitational at Strahan Arena in San Marcos, Texas, but was unable to overcome the Sooners in a 3-0 (25-14, 25-19, 27-25) setback in the 2026 season opener.
Saturday's contest officially kicked off the program's 50th anniversary season and Year No. 6 with head coach Kristi Gray.
Louisiana (0-1) showed its best fight in the third set, rallying from an early deficit and forcing Oklahoma (2-0) to play beyond the standard 25-point finish before the Sooners closed out the match. The Ragin' Cajuns landed 13 kills and battled through 11 ties and six lead changes during Set 3 in their attempt to extend the match.
Sarah Schnell paced the Cajuns offensively with nine kills, while Harley Krause added eight and Lolo Lambert finished with six. Schnell and Krause combined for 17 kills on .263 hitting from the opposite hitters' slot.
In her first collegiate start, Emily Williams led Louisiana at the net with five blocks helping pace UL to a commanding 10.0-5.5 advantage. Libero Kennedy Gustafson anchored the back row with 14 digs.
Oklahoma finished with a 42-29 advantage in kills and hit .307 as a team compared to Louisiana's .188.
HOW IT HAPPENED
OU took control early in Set 1, turning a 3-3 tie into a 6-4 advantage before extending its lead to 14-9 with the first of two critical 3-0 scoring runs. The Sooners' ability to side out at 86 percent in the frame protected the lead.
A kill from Krause and a pair by Lambert came late and began to get the Cajuns' offense unwound but the Sooners maintained their momentum and closed the frame on a service ace for a 25-14 win.
The second set followed a similar pattern. UL stayed within striking distance early before Oklahoma used a 6-1 run to build an 8-3 advantage. The Cajuns fought back behind two Hawkins service aces, two Williams blocks and kills from Krause and Schnell, trimming the deficit to 12-10.
Louisiana later pulled within 17-14 after a successful challenge reversed a call, but OU responded with three of the next four points and eventually secured the 25-19 victory.
UL saved its strongest push for the third set. After trailing 4-2, the Cajuns erupted for a quick 4-0 run, forging ahead 6-4 after a Ryleigh Garis ace and combo block from Henry and Krause, then stretched the advantage to 10-5. Oklahoma rallied to even the score at 15-15, setting up a back-and-forth finish.
The Cajuns twice pulled ahead late, including a 21-20 lead after a Williams kill, and Schnell delivered a kill to tie the set at 24-24, but the Sooners escaped in extra points.
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana completes play at the Texas State Invitational and wraps up the opening weekend of the season on Sunday, August 30 with a 1:00 p.m. match against the host-Bobcats live on the Pac-12 YouTube channel.
Following Sunday's match, the Ragin' Cajuns open their home slate on Tuesday, September 1 vs. McNeese at E.K. Long Gym immediately followed by the Sawyer Camillo Memorial Classic from September 3 through September 5 with UL hosting Southeastern and Memphis.
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).
Saturday's contest officially kicked off the program's 50th anniversary season and Year No. 6 with head coach Kristi Gray.
Louisiana (0-1) showed its best fight in the third set, rallying from an early deficit and forcing Oklahoma (2-0) to play beyond the standard 25-point finish before the Sooners closed out the match. The Ragin' Cajuns landed 13 kills and battled through 11 ties and six lead changes during Set 3 in their attempt to extend the match.
Sarah Schnell paced the Cajuns offensively with nine kills, while Harley Krause added eight and Lolo Lambert finished with six. Schnell and Krause combined for 17 kills on .263 hitting from the opposite hitters' slot.
In her first collegiate start, Emily Williams led Louisiana at the net with five blocks helping pace UL to a commanding 10.0-5.5 advantage. Libero Kennedy Gustafson anchored the back row with 14 digs.
Oklahoma finished with a 42-29 advantage in kills and hit .307 as a team compared to Louisiana's .188.
HOW IT HAPPENED
OU took control early in Set 1, turning a 3-3 tie into a 6-4 advantage before extending its lead to 14-9 with the first of two critical 3-0 scoring runs. The Sooners' ability to side out at 86 percent in the frame protected the lead.
A kill from Krause and a pair by Lambert came late and began to get the Cajuns' offense unwound but the Sooners maintained their momentum and closed the frame on a service ace for a 25-14 win.
The second set followed a similar pattern. UL stayed within striking distance early before Oklahoma used a 6-1 run to build an 8-3 advantage. The Cajuns fought back behind two Hawkins service aces, two Williams blocks and kills from Krause and Schnell, trimming the deficit to 12-10.
Louisiana later pulled within 17-14 after a successful challenge reversed a call, but OU responded with three of the next four points and eventually secured the 25-19 victory.
UL saved its strongest push for the third set. After trailing 4-2, the Cajuns erupted for a quick 4-0 run, forging ahead 6-4 after a Ryleigh Garis ace and combo block from Henry and Krause, then stretched the advantage to 10-5. Oklahoma rallied to even the score at 15-15, setting up a back-and-forth finish.
The Cajuns twice pulled ahead late, including a 21-20 lead after a Williams kill, and Schnell delivered a kill to tie the set at 24-24, but the Sooners escaped in extra points.
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana completes play at the Texas State Invitational and wraps up the opening weekend of the season on Sunday, August 30 with a 1:00 p.m. match against the host-Bobcats live on the Pac-12 YouTube channel.
Following Sunday's match, the Ragin' Cajuns open their home slate on Tuesday, September 1 vs. McNeese at E.K. Long Gym immediately followed by the Sawyer Camillo Memorial Classic from September 3 through September 5 with UL hosting Southeastern and Memphis.
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
L
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
OPP
/ Volleyball
MB
/ VolleyballTeam Stats
LA
OK
Kills
29
42
Errors
13
15
Attempts
85
88
Hitting %
.188
.307
Points
43.0
55.5
Assists
27
39
Aces
4
8
Blocks
10
5.5
Game Leaders
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
6
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
3
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Monday, August 24
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Monday, November 03
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