Volleyball: Cajuns Pick Up Five-Set, Comeback Win at Southeastern

HAMMOND – The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns volleyball team scored the first five points of the decisive fifth set and held off a late Southeastern Louisiana rally to complete a rally from a two-set deficit and claim a 3-2 (23-25, 21-25, 25-17, 25-20, 15-13) victory in a non-conference match at University Center in Hammond, La.
 
After SLU trimmed the Louisiana lead to 14-13, Sara Mossakowski threw down her match-leading 20th kill to land set and match point.
 
Mossakowski’s 20 kills marked a career-high for the senior outside hitter, topping her previous-best 19 vs. Little Rock in 2013. She posted nine kills in the fourth-set victory that brought Louisiana (4-11) into the fifth set.
 
Fueled by four kills from Mossakowski, the Cajuns jumped in front 4-2 in the fourth frame. The teams later swapped lead changes after a 9-all tie. SLU (7-9) used back-to-back Mossakowski attack errors to gain an 11-9 edge, then Louisiana scored on three straight rallies for a 12-11 lead.
 
Mossakowski’s ninth kill of the fourth set provided a 16-14 advantage. After SLU pulled into an 18-all tie, the Cajuns rolled off five straight points to create a comfortable margin and claim the set 25-20, evening the match and forcing the fifth set.
 
With the win, the Ragin’ Cajuns snapped a six-match losing streak and extended their win streak over the Lions to three matches.
 
Louisiana returns to Sun Belt Conference play this weekend at Earl K. Long Gym hosting Arkansas State on Friday, Oct. 2 and Appalachian State on Saturday, Oct. 3. Both matches are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.
 
Acadiana High product Nia Antoine tallied 13 kills and Chanelle Gardner and Katey Kyle produced 12 apiece, joining Mossakowski in double digit kills. The totals were season-high marks for Antoine and Kyle.
 
Louisiana finished the match with a .275 hitting percentage (60 K, 16 E, 160 TA), the highest percentage in a road match this season and just shy of the season-best mark of .291 vs. Southern (Sept. 8). It was the third straight match the squad increased its hitting percentage (.176 at Texas State, .223 vs. ULM, .275 at SLU).
 
After SLU hit above .300 through the first two sets, the hosts were held below .200 each of the final three sets as the Cajuns forced the Lions into 19 attack errors.
 
The Cajuns climbed out of an 8-2 deficit in the opening set with an 8-3 run that trimmed the Lions lead to 11-10. Louisiana took its first lead of the frame, 15-14, on a Mossakowski kill.
 
SLU took advantage of a setting miscue by Davis and ball-handling error from Bartczsyzyn to grab a two-point lead, 20-18. The Lions recorded a sideout each time the Cajuns closed within a point and held on for a 25-23 victory.
 
After trading scores through the first 10 rallies of the second set, the Cajuns pulled ahead 8-5 on a kill by Kyle and back-to-back SLU attack errors, the latter a block solo by Kyle. The Lions countered with a 6-3 run which resulted in an 11-all tie, then took control of the set by scoring on six straight rallies for a 17-11 lead.
 
The Cajuns battled back within two points, 23-21, after Mossakowski notched a kill, but saw the Lions win the next two rallies for a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
After another back-and-forth start in the third set, Louisiana broke a 5-all tie with six straight points to grab an 11-5 lead. Back-to-back kills from Antoine and Kyle, a SLU attack error, Mossakowski ace, and back-to-back kills by Cordell and Kyle contributed to the momentum-changing run that led to a set victory for the Cajuns.