Volleyball: Ragin’ Cajuns Defeat Co-Leader UALR In Sun Belt Volleyball

Matt Sullivan, Asst Sports Information Director, October 20, 2013

Louisiana wins third straight match; knocks off co-leader for second straight week

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – One week after defeating one Sun Belt Conference co-leader in volleyball, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns were at it again on Sunday.

Sara Mossakowski recorded a team-high 13 kills to lead three players in double figures and the Ragin’ Cajuns opened a three-match road trip on a positive note with a 25-22, 20-25, 25-18, 25-16 victory over UALR on Sunday at the Jack Stephens Center.

Lavinia Tataran added 12 kills and Tonice White added 10 as Louisiana (15-8, 5-4 Sun Belt) won its third consecutive match. The Ragin’ Cajuns began their current streak last Sunday with a five-set victory at home over then co-leader and No. 29-ranked WKU before rallying for a five-set victory over league newcomer Georgia State on Friday.

The Ragin’ Cajuns opened the match hitting .308 with Tataran and Mossakowski combining for nine kills. After calling a timeout and trailing 13-10, the Ragin’ Cajuns went on a 7-0 run en route to claiming the opening set as three kills by Mossakowski and a pair of kills and a service ace by Tataran highlighted the spurt.

UALR (15-6, 7-2 Sun Belt), which dropped its second consecutive match, closed to within 23-22 when Sonja Milanovic recorded one of her match-high four aces, but she followed with a service error which allowed Louisiana’s Taylor Meade to claim the opening set with an ace.

After the Trojans tied the match at one set apiece, the Ragin’ Cajuns rebounded from a .108 hitting percentage in the second set to post a .342 average in the third. Mossakowski posted six kills in the frame in 10 attempts as the Ragin’ Cajuns rallied from an 11-7 deficit.

A solo block by White on UALR’s Edina Begic gave Louisiana a 14-13 lead that it would not lose and the Ragin’ Cajuns would pull away behind the serve of Kristen Armstrong, which resulted in a pair of kills by Andrea Hole, a kill by Chanelle Gardner and a kill by Mossakowski.

The Ragin’ Cajuns stormed out to a 6-0 lead in the fourth set that was highlighted by a pair of aces by Caitlyn Auxilien, along with a pair of kills by White and a kill by Abby Filce. The Trojans got as close as six points in the frame, but Louisiana would stretch its lead to 22-11 on an ace by Armstrong.

Hole dished out 43 assists for Louisiana while Auxilien recorded 20 digs and a pair of aces. Meade added two service aces for the Ragin’ Cajuns, which tallied seven in the contest.

Adisa Hodzic led UALR with 14 kills while Begic, who entered the match third in the nation in kills per set (5.27), finished with 13 total and a 3.25 average. Marleen de Zoete posted a double-double for the Trojans with 32 assists and 11 digs while Allison Wyatt added 11 digs.

Louisiana will return to action on Friday when it visits Sun Belt opponent Georgia State in a 6 p.m. CDT contest at GSU Arena.