Saturday, August 29
Lubbock, Texas
1:30 p.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
0
vs
3
Utah State
Cajuns Fall to Utah State in Texas Tech Invite Finale
8/29/2015 4:47:00 PM | Volleyball
LUBBOCK, Texas – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns volleyball team dropped a straight sets decision to Utah State as the Aggies' offensive efficiency carried them in the Texas Tech Invitational finale Saturday afternoon at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas.
Utah State posted a .286 attack percentage (41 kills, 13 errors, 98 attacks) compared to Louisiana's .011 (24 kills, 23 errors, 93 attacks) and collected the sweep by set scores of 25-18, 25-15, 25-15.
The turning point in the match came in the second set when the Aggies outscored the Ragin' Cajuns 10-2 to break open a 15-13 contest, grab victory and take a 2-0 lead. USU's momentum shift continued as they opened the third set with a 10-1 run.
The Ragin' Cajuns end their season-opening weekend with a 0-3 mark. Louisiana dropped tightly contested matches to Houston and Texas Tech in Friday's action.
The Ragin' Cajuns return to action on Tuesday, Sept. 1 in Natchitoches, La., for a match with Northwestern State at 7 p.m., inside Prather Coliseum. Next weekend Louisiana hosts the Sawyer Camillo Memorial Volleyball Classic at Earl K. Long Gym. Matches take place Friday-Saturday, Sept. 4-5 and feature the Ragin' Cajuns, Houston, Jackson State and Nicholls State.
Chloe Cordell paced the Ragin' Cajuns' efforts with a season-and career-high six kills. Keely Hayes and Chanelle Gardner each had five kills. Gardner led all Louisiana players with 17 kills in the tournament.
Lafayette High alum McKenzie John started at libero and collected 15 digs, the most by a Cajun over the weekend. John, who finished the tournament with 14 kills and 28 digs over nine sets, was named to the all-tournament team.
Sara Mossakowski (2.60 kills/set in 2014) and Stacey Reilly (1.97 kills/set in 2014), both returning starters, are recovering from injury and did not participate in the match.
USU took control of the opening set after kills from Rachel Gale and Carly Lenzen on consecutive rallies opened a 9-5 advantage. Gardner threw down a kill to close the deficit to 13-11, the first of a series of two-point leads for the Aggies culminating in a 20-18 edge.
Beginning with a kill from Lauren O'Brien, the Aggies seized the set and a 1-0 lead in the match by reeling off the final five points.
Louisiana grabbed a 6-4 lead in the second set after a kill by Cordell then a block thrown up by Julia Pasch and Cordell on the next rally. A kill by Hayes gave the Cajuns an 8-6 edge, but USU used a 4-0 run to grab the lead for good.
Cordell's third kill of the second set had the Cajuns within two points, 15-13, but the Aggies used three kills and a service ace to jumpstart the 10-2 run that secured the victory.
Utah State started the third set scoring the first six points and the Ragin' Cajuns couldn't recover.
Saturday's contest marked the first-ever between the two programs. It was a reunion for Mazeitis-Fontenot and USU coach Grayson DuBose who last coached against one another when she was at Louisiana Tech.
Utah State posted a .286 attack percentage (41 kills, 13 errors, 98 attacks) compared to Louisiana's .011 (24 kills, 23 errors, 93 attacks) and collected the sweep by set scores of 25-18, 25-15, 25-15.
The turning point in the match came in the second set when the Aggies outscored the Ragin' Cajuns 10-2 to break open a 15-13 contest, grab victory and take a 2-0 lead. USU's momentum shift continued as they opened the third set with a 10-1 run.
The Ragin' Cajuns end their season-opening weekend with a 0-3 mark. Louisiana dropped tightly contested matches to Houston and Texas Tech in Friday's action.
The Ragin' Cajuns return to action on Tuesday, Sept. 1 in Natchitoches, La., for a match with Northwestern State at 7 p.m., inside Prather Coliseum. Next weekend Louisiana hosts the Sawyer Camillo Memorial Volleyball Classic at Earl K. Long Gym. Matches take place Friday-Saturday, Sept. 4-5 and feature the Ragin' Cajuns, Houston, Jackson State and Nicholls State.
Chloe Cordell paced the Ragin' Cajuns' efforts with a season-and career-high six kills. Keely Hayes and Chanelle Gardner each had five kills. Gardner led all Louisiana players with 17 kills in the tournament.
Lafayette High alum McKenzie John started at libero and collected 15 digs, the most by a Cajun over the weekend. John, who finished the tournament with 14 kills and 28 digs over nine sets, was named to the all-tournament team.
Sara Mossakowski (2.60 kills/set in 2014) and Stacey Reilly (1.97 kills/set in 2014), both returning starters, are recovering from injury and did not participate in the match.
USU took control of the opening set after kills from Rachel Gale and Carly Lenzen on consecutive rallies opened a 9-5 advantage. Gardner threw down a kill to close the deficit to 13-11, the first of a series of two-point leads for the Aggies culminating in a 20-18 edge.
Beginning with a kill from Lauren O'Brien, the Aggies seized the set and a 1-0 lead in the match by reeling off the final five points.
Louisiana grabbed a 6-4 lead in the second set after a kill by Cordell then a block thrown up by Julia Pasch and Cordell on the next rally. A kill by Hayes gave the Cajuns an 8-6 edge, but USU used a 4-0 run to grab the lead for good.
Cordell's third kill of the second set had the Cajuns within two points, 15-13, but the Aggies used three kills and a service ace to jumpstart the 10-2 run that secured the victory.
Utah State started the third set scoring the first six points and the Ragin' Cajuns couldn't recover.
Saturday's contest marked the first-ever between the two programs. It was a reunion for Mazeitis-Fontenot and USU coach Grayson DuBose who last coached against one another when she was at Louisiana Tech.
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