Volleyball: Nemeth’s Career Night Carries Louisiana Past Jackson State

Matt Sullivan, September 10, 2013

Ragin’ Cajuns hit .397 in straight set victory

Contact: Matt Sullivan

JACKSON, Miss. – Louisiana’s Kaylee Nemeth recorded career-highs in kills and hitting percentage and the Ragin’ Cajun volleyball team got off to a hot start and kept up the pressure in earning a 25-11, 25-17, 25-16 victory over Jackson State on Tuesday at T.B. Ellis Gym.

Nemeth recorded a match-high 12 kills and hit .526 (12-2-19) as Louisiana (6-2) hit .397 for the match and spoiled the home opener for Jackson State (1-7). The junior from Montgomery, Texas eclipsed her previous highs in kills (11, at ULM) and hitting percentage (.381, at UALR)

Lavinia Tataran added nine kills for Louisiana and Sara Mossakowski had eight as the Ragin’ Cajuns opened the match with a .304 hitting percentage (10-3-23) before posting hitting numbers of .345 (14-4-29) and .538 (17-3-26) in the final two sets.

The Ragin’ Cajuns opened the match on a 7-1 run with service aces from Andrea Hole and Mossakowski along with a pair of kills by Chanelle Gardner.

Nemeth recorded four kills in the second set and added six in the third as Louisiana was never threatened in the contest.

Hole, who returned to the lineup after missing the past three matches with an injury, dished out 29 assists and posted seven digs to lead Louisiana. Gardner blocked four JSU attempts for the Ragin’ Cajuns, who held the Tigers to a .108 hitting percentage.

Paige Williams and Kennede Banks had six kills each to lead JSU. Jenna Siddiqui added 15 assists for the Tigers with Karmen Jackson recording seven digs.

Louisiana will return to action on Friday when it opens play in the Benson’s Group Hospitality Invitational in Athens, Ga. The Ragin’ Cajuns will face UNC Greensboro on Friday at 3 p.m. CDT before resuming play on Saturday against host Georgia at noon CDT and North Florida at 3 p.m. CDT.

Louisiana (6-2) (Kills-aces-blocks) – Nemeth 12-0-2; Tataran 9-1-1; Mossakowski 8-3-2; White 6-0-2; Gardner 4-0-4; Filce 1-0-0; Hole 1-2-0; Meade 0-1-0; Totals 41-7-6.0. (Assists) – Hole 29. (Dig leaders) – Hole 7; Tataran 6.

Jackson State (1-7) (Kills-aces-blocks) – Williams 6-0-1; Banks 6-0-0; Knight 3-0-0; Rolle 3-0-0; Ford 2-0-0; Siddiqui 1-0-0; Barry 1-0-0; Kelley 0-1-0; Totals 22-1-1.0. (Assists) – Siddiqui 15. (Dig leaders) – Jackson 7; Hopkins 4.