Volleyball: Cardiac Cajuns Do It Again!–Rally To Defeat GSU In Five-Set Marathon

Matt Sullivan, Asst Sports Information Director, October 18, 2013

Louisiana visits Sun Belt co-leader UALR on Sunday

LAFAYETTE – Tonice White recorded 15 kills to lead four players in double figures and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns volleyball team rallied to claim its second consecutive five-set match with a hard fought 28-26, 22-25, 23-25, 25-15, 15-11 victory over Georgia State in a Sun Belt Conference match on Friday at Earl K. Long Gym.

Sara Mossakowski and Kaylee Nemeth added 13 kills each for Louisiana (14-8, 4-4 Sun Belt) while Lavinia Tataran had 11. Caitlyn Auxilien led the Ragin’ Cajuns with 25 digs with Mossakowski recording a career-best 18 to record her second career double-double.

After posting a five-set victory over No. 29-ranked WKU on Sunday, the Ragin’ Cajuns weathered a Georgia State (5-17, 0-9 Sun Belt) team that was looking to snap a nine-match losing streak.

Andrea Hole posted her 13th double-double of the season with 50 assists and 11 digs for Louisiana, which improved to 3-0 in five-set matches on the season after going 0-7 in 2012. Taylor Meade added 12 digs for the Ragin’ Cajuns while Tataran added 10 digs for her sixth double-double.

After falling in the third set to GSU, Louisiana claimed the final two sets hitting a blistering .440 in the fourth set and .179 in the fifth. Andrea Hole and Nemeth combined for eight kills in the fourth set for the Ragin’ Cajuns before Tataran and Mossakowski took over in the fifth.

The Ragin’ Cajuns took a 14-10 lead in the fourth set on a service ace by Auxilien before the Panthers closed to within 14-13 on a kill by Andrea Ezell. But a service error by Natalia Nieto opened a 5-0 run for Louisiana as Tataran posted consecutive kills, before a solo block by White and an attack error by Dede Bohannon gave the Ragin’ Cajuns a 19-13 lead.

In the fifth set, both teams traded points before a kill by White and an attack error by Eliza Zachary gave Louisiana a 13-10 lead. Zachary answered with a kill to cut the Panther deficit to 13-11, but Tataran and Mossakowski put the match away as the Ragin’ Cajuns claimed the first-ever matchup between the schools in volleyball.

GSU was led Bohannon with a match-high 17 kills. Sydney Hunsley added 11 kills and 15 digs for the Panthers while Nieto posted 40 assists and 13 digs. Emily Averbeck paced all players with 29 digs while Eliza Zachary posted eight blocks.

Louisiana will return to action on Sunday when it faces Sun Belt co-leader UALR in a noon contest in Little Rock, Ark.