Volleyball:Strong Effort Helps Ragin’ Cajuns Claim Five-Set Win At ULM

Louisiana to wrap up regular-season this weekend against UTA, Texas State

MONROE – Stacey Reilly recorded a team-high 15 kills while Chanelle Gardner and Chloe Cordell added 13 kills each as the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns volleyball team claimed a 25-21, 27-25, 20-25, 17-25, 15-7 win over ULM in a Sun Belt Conference match on Tuesday at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
 
Jessica Bartczyszyn posted a double-double with 40 assists and 19 digs with Sydney Davis adding a team-high 23 digs as Louisiana (10-19, 6-8 SBC) opened the fifth set with a 4-1 lead to eventually pull away for the win.
 
Nia Antoine recorded a block and a kill to open the final set and give Louisiana a 2-1 lead before a kill by Cordell and a service ace by McKenzie John forced ULM (9-23, 3-12 SBC) to call timeout. Both teams traded points before a kill by Gardner and a kill by Katherine Young pushed Louisiana’s lead to 10-5. The Ragin’ Cajuns would extend their lead to 13-6 after ULM recorded three bad passes before Antoine and Cordell combined on a block that gave Louisiana a 14-7 lead.
 
Louisiana stormed out to an early 10-5 lead in the opening set as Cordell recorded three kills and Gardner adding a pair. The Warhawks got as close as 20-19 on a kill by Hope Pawlik, but Bartczyszyn answered with a kill for the Ragin’ Cajuns and Cordell would record back-to-back service aces that gave Louisiana a 23-19 lead.
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns trailed 24-21 in the second set before a pair of ULM attack errors and an ace by Reilly knotted the contest at 24-24. Gardner would eventually snap a 25-25 tie with a kill and Louisiana claimed the second set after Kalena Caruthers’ attack went wide for an error.
 
Louisiana hit .174 for the match and recorded eight service aces in the match. Cordell led the Ragin’ Cajuns with four aces while Antoine had three blocks.
 
Caruthers led ULM with 18 kills while Pawlik recorded a double-double with 17 kills and 23 digs. Kacey LeBlanc added 30 digs for the Warhawks while Tara Jenkins dished out 33 assists.
 
Louisiana will wrap up the regular-season with a pair of Sun Belt Conference matches at Earl K. Long Gym beginning Friday when it faces UT Arlington in a 6:30 p.m. match. The Ragin’ Cajuns will then conclude the regular-season on Saturday when it battles Texas State at 6:30 p.m.