Bon Temps Invitational Day One Update

Contact: Matt Hebert

Louisiana vs. Houston Baptist Box Score | McNeese State vs. Southern Miss Box Score

LAFAYETTE – Action is underway at the Bon Temps Invitational volleyball tournament at Earl K. Long Gym and so far both in-state schools have come away victorious.

Fueled by a career-high 18 kills from Norwegian product Andrea Hole (pronounced who-lah) the Ragin' Cajuns volleyball team produced a 3-1 (25-20, 28-30, 25-11, 25-21) victory over Houston Baptist in the tournament opener.

The Cajuns' motto entering the season has been “leave no doubt” and that's exactly what happened in the third set with HBU. After the Huskies rallied to sneak out a 30-28 victory in the second set and even the match, the Cajuns (2-2) stormed out to an 11-1 lead in the fourth set on the way to reclaiming an advantage in the match.

HBU hung in with UL in the fourth set, netting a 20-all tie with a Cati Wenger kill. Lavinia Tatran registered a kill on the ensuing to break the tie.

After the Huskies trimmed the Cajuns lead to 22-21, the hosts rolled off three straight points to avoid a fifth set. Mandi Gavin threw down a kill off a Caitlyn Auxilien dig, then two rallies later Gavin and Tonice White threw up a block to secure match point.

Louisiana finished the match with an efficient .272 hitting percentage (63 kills, 19 errors, 162 attempts) and had three other players join Hole in double figure kills – Tataran (13), White (11) and Gavin (10). UL held a 63-46 edge in kills over HBU.

In the afternoon's second contest, McNeese State (1-3) rallied from a 2-0 deficit by winning the final three sets in succession. Amber Fryer led a contingent of four Cowgirls with double digit kills ending with a team-best 14.

USM (1-3) was powered by Halie Ecker who accumulated a match-high 21 kills. The Golden Eagles were done in by attack errors, posting a combined 16 over the third and fourth sets. The Cowgirls stepped up in the final three sets, notching a sideout percentage of 69 percent or higher each time out.

The Cowgirls stayed alive by rallying for a 25-23 win in the third set, after battling through four lead changes and 16 ties. Tied at 23-all, the Golden Eagles misfired on back-to-back attack attempts to hand the Cowgirls a set victory.

In the fifth set, McNeese reclaimed the lead at 5-4 on a block by Rachel Cagnina and Fryer and never bowed to the pressure each time USM moved within a point. After a Fryer attack error helped USM cut the deficit to 14-13, Cagnina posted a kill to wrap up the Cowgirls' comeback.

Day one of the Bon Temps Invitational concludes at 7 p.m., when Louisiana meets McNeese in a battle of the unbeatens in tournament play.

-- Ragin' Cajuns --

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics

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