Cajuns Take 15th-Ranked Gators to Four Sets at O'Connell Center

Contact: Matt Hebert

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Prior to Saturday afternoon's action in the Active Ankle Challenge, the only teams to post a set victory over Florida in 2012 were nationally ranked Texas and Stanford.

Now the University of Louisiana can be added to the list.

The Ragin' Cajuns volleyball team used a 16-kill effort in the third set of Saturday's match against No. 15 Florida to take a 25-23 victory on the Gators' home court at Stephen C. O'Connell Center and earn the chance to even the match in a fourth set.

The Gators (5-2) used a sizzling .414 hitting percentage to hold off Louisiana (4-5) and avoid a fifth set by claiming the final set 25-12.

UF claimed the match 3-1 (25-15, 25-14, 23-25, 25-12). The match marked the first meeting between the Gators and Ragin' Cajuns.

The Cajuns, who fell to 0-2 in the Active Ankle Challenge, conclude tournament play at 4:30 p.m. (CDT) against winless Jacksonville.

The Cajuns came up strong against another traditional volleyball powerhouse, one day after pushing ACC-member Georgia Tech in the second and third set. Saturday's set victory over the Gators marked the first for UL against a ranked foe in the Heather Mazeitis-Fontenot era.

“When we pass well we are a tough team to beat,” Mazeitis-Fontenot stated. “They served really tough the entire match, but we got on a roll running our offense and never looked back.

“We came close last night in the second set, so I was really proud of the girls when they finished off the third set,” Mazeitis-Fontenot added. “However, Florida came out blazing in the fourth set and once again we struggled to keep up with their serves.”

Senior Blair Claypoole led the Cajuns' charge by tying for match-high honors with 13 kills on only 27 attempts. Lavinia Tataran joined Claypoole in double digits by accruing 12 kills on 32 attempts.

Caitlyn Auxilien made it seven straight matches with double figure digs by scooping up a team-best 13. As a unit, the Cajuns collected 41 digs against the nationally ranked Gators.

UL showed improvement in hitting percentage from the Georgia Tech match. The Cajuns managed to hit .150 off of UF and piled up 49 points.

Florida freshman Živa Recek led the way for her team, tallying her first career double-double with 13 kills and 13 digs, while senior Tangerine Wiggs and junior Chloe Mann each put up 10 kills. Wiggs and Mann's numbers were impressive, as Wiggs hit an errorless .667 and Mann only played in sets one and four, hitting .533.

The match opened with a see-saw battle as the teams traded points through the first six rallies. Recek served six straight points to put the Gators ahead, 9-3, and they never looked back.

The serve of redshirt freshman Simone Antwi allowed UF to break open the second set in similar fashion. Antwi served up five straight points to extend the Gators' early lead to 8-2. UL closed within seven points, 17-10, off a Tataran kill, but a Claypoole service error and Madison Monserez ace pushed the lead to 19-10. A Taylor Brauneis stuff block at 22-12 put the Gators up by double digits and a Holly Pole service ace ended the set in the Gators' favor, 25-14.

There were 12 ties and seven lead changes in the third set. Louisiana took its first lead of the set at 8-7, but a quick dump kill by Dana Backlund tied the set at 8-all. The Ragin' Cajuns continued to fight, taking the lead once again 10-9.

The Gators took the lead back off a kill by Recek at 12-11 but a Florida hitting error gave the edge back to UL 15-14. A Ragin' Cajuns hitting error gave Florida the two-point advantage and forced a Louisiana timeout, 17-15.

UL kept pushing despite falling behind, staying within one or two points until tying the set at 23-all on a Tataran kill. Louisiana set up set point at 24-23 off a kill by Andrea Hole. A Tonice White kill gave the set to the Ragin' Cajuns, 25-23.

The Gators wasted no time in finishing off the match, jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the decisive set. Later in the set, back-to-back Recek kills extended the UF lead, 11-5. Louisiana called timeout after a kill by Gabby Mallette and a Recek kill gave the Gators a 14-5 edge. A cut swing inside the block for Mallette extended the Gator advantage, 19-8, and a Mann overpass kill got the Gators to the double-decade mark, 20-8.

-- Ragin' Cajuns --

Cajuns Take 15th-Ranked Gators to Four Sets at O'Connell Center

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Team Stats

Blair Claypoole

Lavinia Tataran

Kelly Wiesmann

Tonice White

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