|
 |
Volleyball: Bobcats Top Cajuns in Sun Belt West Title BoutSAN MARCOS, Texas – Sparked by a .368 hitting percentage Texas State topped the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Volleyball team in straight sets (25-22, 25-18, 25-22) on Friday at Strahan Coliseum. The Bobcats (22-8, 13-2 Sun Belt) hit above .300 each set and had a sideout success rate of 77 percent which kept the Ragin’ Cajuns (19-10, 12-3 Sun Belt) in their grasp the entire night. With the win Texas State captured the Sun Belt West Division title and a top two seed in the SBC Tournament. Louisiana can finish third in the tournament seeding with a win on Sunday at UTA (or fourth with a loss). The Ragin’ Cajuns pulled within one of a couple of occasions late in the opening set, but ultimately the Bobcats .432 hitting percentage and 81 percent sideout rate in the frame played in their favor. Texas State limited Louisiana to seven kills and a .026 percentage in claiming the second set. After playing through 12 ties from the onset of the third set, the Bobcats reeled off a 5-1 run to distance themselves at 18-14. The Ragin’ Cajuns, who had posted double digit blocks in six of the previous eight matches, were only able to execute four against the Bobcats. LEADING THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS Hanna Rovira fired off 14 kills on a .440 hitting percentage, one off her season-high recorded against the Bobcats back on Oct. 28. Hali Wisnoskie and Dree’Ana Abram supplemented Rovira’s total with eight and six kills, respectively. Abram was tied for match-high honors with three blocks. Libero Sydney Davis topped the Ragin’ Cajuns with 11 digs, extending her streak of consecutive matches with double digits to 14 straight (dates back to Sept. 29 vs. Arkansas State). Lexi Hebert joined her in double figures with 10 digs. UP NEXT The Ragin’ Cajuns conclude regular season play on Sunday in Arlington, Texas against UTA (13-15, 7-8 Sun Belt). First serve at the College Park Center is set for 1 p.m. The match will air on ESPN3. After the UTA match, Louisiana ventures to Jonesboro, Ark., for the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Tournament at First National Bank Arena on the Arkansas State campus. The Ragin’ Cajuns are guaranteed a bye on the opening day of the event and will open play on Friday, Nov. 17. HOW IT HAPPENED – A pair of Abram kills sparked a 3-1 run which opened an 8-6 lead for the Cajuns in the first set. The Bobcats drew even at 8-all and later took the lead when Tyeranee Scott scored a kill and combined for a block that opened a 16-14 edge. Louisiana bounced back from a 20-16 deficit and moved within a point at 21-20 and 22-21, only to have service errors prevent them from having an opportunity to pull even. – The Bobcats were able to grab a 2-0 lead in the match thanks to a 17-7 margin in kills in the second set. The hosts landed four kills during a decisive 5-2 run that stretched their lead to 21-15. – Neither team was able to make a move through 13-all in the third set, battling through 12 ties. Texas State, though, shifted momentum to its side when three straight kills, started by Erin Hoppe and capped off by back-to-back from Madison Daigle, made it 16-13. The Ragin’ Cajuns made a late push and were within two points after a Rovira kill and Jessica Bartczyszyn block trimmed the Bobcats lead to 24-22. Texas State got the set-ending sideout when Hoppe set up Daigle for a kill. QUICK HITS – Hanna Rovira has hit at or above .200 in 10 of 15 Sun Belt matches including six matches of at least seven kills on a .400-plus percentage. – Hanna Rovira has posted at least five kills in 14 consecutive SBC matches (dates back to Sept. 23 at Georgia State). – Hali Wisnoskie increased her season kills total to 293, leaving her seven shy of becoming just the second freshman in the rally scoring era (2001-present) to reach 300 kills in a single season. – Stacey Reilly is nearing a 300 kills-300 digs season for the second straight year. Reilly, who had 387 kills and 347 digs as a junior in 2016, needs two kills and six digs to reach the feat once again. FOLLOW THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS For more information on Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Volleyball, as well as all of Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics, visit RaginCajuns.com. Fans can also follow along with the team on Facebook (/ULVolleyball), Twitter (@RaginCajunsVB) and Instagram (@RaginCajunsVB).
#GeauxCajuns
|