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For the second consecutive year, Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns volleyball team opens the season on the road at the Comfort Suites SHSU Invitational at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, Texas.
Louisiana begins the 2010 campaign with the tournament which runs Friday-Saturday, Aug. 27-28.
A season ago, the squad opened the 2009 season with three consecutive wins at the Comfort Suites SHSU Invitational. In the championship match, UL fell in a tough, 3-2, match to Sam Houston State.
UL opens play in this season’s tournament on Friday at 11:30 a.m., against Marist and wraps up day one at 4:30 p.m. in a contest with Eastern Michigan.
On Saturday, Louisiana meets Prairie View A&M at 2:00 p.m., before the tournament concludes with UL playing Sam Houston State at 7:00 p.m.
Live stats will be available to fans for free at RaginCajuns.com. For a fee, fans may purchase live streaming access through GoBearkats.com.
Head Coach Heather Mazeitis returns for her third season at the helm of the volleyball program. She enters the weekend two wins shy of her 250th career victory.
Under Mazeitis’ direction, Louisiana has improved its win total in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2001-2002.
Senior libero Lindsay Brown headlines the Cajuns returnees. Brown has surpassed 400-plus digs each of the past two seasons. A year ago she became just the fourth player in program history (and first since 1997) to amass 500-plus digs in a single season.
Sophomore Mandi Gavin takes over as the setter this season, replacing Kendra Hall who wrapped up her career last season. The Arlington, Texas, native was able to gain experience last season playing in 102 sets mainly as an outside hitter.
Caroline Dufrene notched 153 kills last season and returns as the team’s leader in kills. The junior averaged 1.66 kills per set, while managing seven solo blocks and 33 block assists in 2009.
“I think our veterans are starting to expect more of themselves,” noted Mazeitis after watching her team during camp the past two weeks. “Their level of expectation is to be successful as people, and student-athletes in the classroom and on the court.”
Nine new faces will put on the Cajuns uniform for the first time this weekend, including seven freshmen and two sophomores.
“The team has gelled together and they are being led, not only by our seniors, but by our freshmen as well,” said Mazeitis.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS:
Marist: UL and Marist will meet for the first time in the program history. The Red Foxes are coming off a season in which they finished 18-13 overall and 11-7 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, including an appearance in the MAAC title match against Niagara. Marist was selected to finish third according to the MAAC Coaches’ Preseason Poll. Senior middle blocker Lindsey Schmid (Austin, Texas) was named to the Preaseason All-MAAC Team. Last year, Schmid led the conference with 69 service aces and ranked fifth in the nation with 0.59 aces per set.
Eastern Michigan: Friday afternoon’s meeting with Eastern Michigan will also be a first for the Cajuns. The Eagles, a member of the Mid-American Conference, compiled a record of 5-28. Sophomore outside hitter Rachel Iaquaniello returns as the team’s top attacker with 421 kills during the 2009 campaign.
Praire View A&M: The Ragin’ Cajuns will face Prairie View A&M for the ninth time since 1987. Last season, UL edged the Panthers, 3-2, in the McNeese State Invitational. Prairie View finished two matches under .500 with an 18-20 mark, but placed second in the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s Western Division with a 6-2 conference record.
Sam Houston State: The marquee match of the tournament will be Saturday evening when the SHSU Bearkats face UL for the 14th time. The Cajuns fell to the Bearkats in a back-and-forth 3-2 contest last season. Sam Houston finished 20-14 overall in 2009, including a 12-4 conference mark. Junior Carli Kolbe returns as the top attacker and digs leader, averaging 3.66 kills and 2.63 digs per set in last year’s campaign.
