The Book 2003-04 UL Lady Cajuns Volleyball

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Freshman Hope Webre leads the way with career-high 24 kills as Louisiana ends an 11-match losing streak

LOUISIANA La. - Behind the combination of Hope Webre's 24 kills and Elina Salomaki's 19, Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns volleyball team earned its first conference win of the season and snapped a season-high 11-match losing streak with a 3-1 (30-27, 30-28, 25-30, 30-22) victory over I-10 rival University of New Orleans Thursday evening at Earl K. Long Gym.

The win improved UL's record to 5-18 overall and 1-9 in the Sun Belt and was the Cajuns first triumph since Sept. 19 when the Cajuns defeated Jackson State 3-0. It was also snapped the Cajuns seven-match losing streak at Long Gym.

With the loss, UNO falls to 9-17 overall and 3-7 in the Sun Belt and lost its fifth match in its last six outings since defeating the Cajuns 3-0 on Oct. 11.

Both Salomaki and Webre tallied new career-highs for kills and collected double-doubles as they posted 18 and 12 digs respectively. For Salomaki it was her fourth straight match with double-digit kills and first career double-double.

Webre led the team with a .350 hitting percentage tallying her 24 kills on 60 attempts while committing only three errors. It was Webre's final kill of the night that gave the Cajuns their 30th point of game four and ended six weeks worth of frustration.

Five different Cajuns tallied double-digit digs led by libero Hollie Girouard's season-high 23. Lindsey Bermes had a career-best 18 digs while setter Beth Henson chimed in with 14.

UNO was led by 19 kills from Jennifer Cruz. Cruz tallied the Privateers lone double as she tacked on 17 digs. Like UL Lafayette, UNO had five players in double-digit digs led by 22 from Anais Urdaz.

UL Lafayette out-blocked UNO 10.0-6.0 behind six blocks from Stacy
Liverett. Both Henson and Webre each tallied block solos.

As a team, Louisiana attacked at a .174 percentage to UNO's .112 - the first time the Cajuns had a higher attack percentage since the Sept. 19 win over JSU.

The win by the Cajuns evened the season series and extended Louisiana's win streak over the Privateers at Long Gym to six matches. UNO's win in game three snapped a string of 11 straight games lost on the Cajuns home court.

Louisiana returns to action on Sunday, Nov. 2, as the Cajuns play their final home match of the season at 1 p.m. against South Alabama in Long Gym.

LOUISIANA SI

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New Orleans at Louisiana
Site: Lafayette, La. (Earl K. Long Gym)
Date: Thursday, Oct. 30, 2003
Att: 239 Time: 2:00

Louisiana 3, New Orleans 1

                         1  2  3  4

UNO (9-17, 3-7 SBC)     27 28 30 22

UL  (5-18, 1-9 SBC)     30 30 25 30 

 

New Orleans (9-17, 3-7 Sun Belt)
(Kills-aces-blocks) - Cruz, Jennifer 19-1-2; Carr, Hillary 12-1-3; Zimmer, Christine 8-0-2; Helgeson, Jessica 7-1-2; Meyers, Amanda 6-0-2; Bauer, Kylee 4-0-0; Urdaz, Anais 4-0-0;
Totals 60-3-6.0.

(Assists) - Bauer 50.
(Dig leaders) - Urdaz 22; Zimmer 20; Duncan 17; Cruz 17

Louisiana (5-18, 1-9 Sun Belt)
(Kills-aces-blocks) - Webre, Hope 24-1-4; Salomaki, Elina 19-2-1; Liverett, Stacy 7-0-6; Bermes, Lindsey 7-0-1; Rodgers, Kim 5-0-2; Henson, Beth 2-0-4; Totals 64-3-10.0.

(Assists) - Henson 53.

(Dig leaders) - Girouard 23; Bermes 18; Salomaki 18; Henson 14; Webre 12

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Louisiana faces South Alabama at 1 p.m. at Long Gym

LOUISIANA La. - Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns volleyball team will look to make it back-to-back victories and get back into the race for a spot in the Sun Belt Tournament here Sunday against Sun Belt Conference West Division rival South Alabama at 1 p.m. in Earl K. Long Gym on "Senior Day."

UL recently snapped its season-high 11-match losing streak with a 3-1 (30-27, 30-28, 25-30, 30-22) win over New Orleans on Thursday.

Now the Cajuns (5-18, 1-9 Sun Belt) look to make it two straight for the first time since the season-opening weekend when the Cajuns defeated UL Monroe and Alcorn State Aug. 29-30.

Louisiana can also put itself back into contention for a spot in the 2003 Hardee's Sun Belt Conference Tournament with a victory and distance itself from the last-place Jaguars (4-19, 1-10 Sun Belt).

The Cajuns are just two victories behind UNO (3-7 Sun Belt) for eighth and final tournament spot and a win Sunday combined with a UNO loss to North Texas puts the Cajuns one game out of the tournament.

Sunday's match also marks the final home match of the 2003 season for the Ragin' Cajuns and the final one ever for seniors Beth Henson and Lindsey Bermes.

USA enters Sunday's match on a six-match SBC losing streak since snapping a 25-match conference losing skid with a 3-1 (27-30, 34-32, 30-27, 30-24) victory over UL Oct. 10 in Mobile, Ala.

The Cajuns lead the all-time series 22-8 and had won 13 straight over the Jags before the Oct. 10 loss.

Louisiana has won the last six meetings between the two teams at Long Gym. The Cajuns have posted straight set sweeps in five of those six wins.

LOUISIANA SI

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Elina Salomaki and Hollie Girouard Named Sun Belt Volleyball Players of the Week

LOUISISNA La. - Louisiana's Lady Cajuns volleyball team picked up its first Sun Belt Conference wins of the season last weekend receiving key performances from middle blocker Elina Salomaki and libero Hollie Girouard along the way.

On Monday, both Salomaki and Girouard were recognized for their efforts by being named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week respectively.

Salomaki posted a pair of double-doubles to pace the Cajuns offensive efforts. The Helsinki, Finland, native had 19 kills and 18 digs in the squad's 3-1 win over UNO and added 16 kills and 11 digs in a 3-0 sweep of South Alabama Sunday to extend her streak of consecutive matches with double-digit kills to five.

Girouard finished the weekend with 36 digs in seven games for an average of 5.14 per game as she anchored the Cajuns defense. She collected a career-best 23 digs against UNO and rounded out the week with 13 against USA. The Broussard native has posted double-digit digs in the last three matches and in 18 of the Cajuns 24 matches this season.

Both of their selections marked the first time this season that a Cajuns player earned either one of the weekly honors.

Salomaki becomes the fifth player in program history to be named Player of the Week and her selection marks the fifth straight season that UL has had at least one player claim the honor.

With the two wins last weekend, the Cajuns moved within one game of both UNO and Florida International for the eighth and final spot in the 2003 Hardee's Sun Belt Conference to be held Nov. 20-22 in Bowling Green, Ky.

Louisiana has four more chances to clinch that spot beginning Friday, Nov. 7 in an 8 p.m. match at Sun Belt West Division leader New Mexico State.

The Cajuns will spend the final two weekends of the season on the road after completing their home schedule Sunday against South Alabama.

LOUISIANA SI

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Louisiana's All-Time Sun Belt Player of the Week

O. 31, 1994        Nia Kiggundu

S. 18, 1995        Nia Kiggundu

O. 9, 1995         Nia Kiggundu

S. 9, 1996         Nia Kiggundu

O. 18, 1999        Priscilla Lima

N. 13, 2000        Amy Kraljev

S. 10, 2001        Clarice Laires

N. 4, 2002         Clarice Laires

N. 3, 2003         Elina Salomaki

 

Louisiana's All-Time Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week

(award began in 2001 season)

S. 24, 2001        Clarice Laires

O. 15, 2001        Janaina Gomes

S. 2, 2002         Clarice Laires

S. 23, 2002        Priscilla Lima

O. 14, 2002        Priscilla Lima

N. 11, 2002        Clarice Laires

N. 3, 2003       Hollie Girouard 

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UL opens four-match road trip Friday at conference-leader New Mexico State

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Louisiana's Lady Cajuns volleyball team continues its push for a spot in the Hardee's Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Tournament here Friday in an 8 p.m. (CST) match against league-leader New Mexico State at the Pan American Center.

The Lady Cajuns (6-18, 2-9 Sun Belt) enter the match on a two-match winning streak after picking up a pair of wins against New Orleans and South Alabama last weekend.

As a result, Louisiana is now just one game behind UNO and Florida International, both with 3-8 league records, for the eighth and final spot in the league tournament heading into the final two weekends of the season.

Friday's match also marks the beginning of four straight road matches to conclude the regular season for the Lady Cajuns. Louisiana wrapped up its home schedule last Sunday against South Alabama.

NMSU (23-4, 11-0 Sun Belt) is arguably one of the hottest teams in the nation right now.

The Aggies enter Friday's match riding a season-high 17-match winning streak overall and have won their last 14 SBC matches dating back to last season. During the streak NMSU has won 51 of 61 games and has posted 11 straight set sweeps.

The Lady Cajuns will be seeking to avenge a 3-1 loss to NMSU earlier this season at Long Gym. So far, Louisiana-Lafayette is 2-0 against SBC West Division counterparts on the second leg of the round robin schedule.

Louisiana will rely on its balanced offensive attack which features six active players who have tallied over 100 kills this season.

Sophomore Elina Salomaki and freshman Hope Webre have been the driving force behind the Cajuns resurgence as of late.

Salomaki, this week's Sun Belt Player of the Week, has tallied double-digit kills in her last five matches and has posted double-doubles in her last two. She leads the team with 2.92 kills per game and 114 total in SBC play.

Webre has stepped up with the absence of Lesley Tough, the team leader in kills per game. The freshman outside hitter had a career-day against UNO last Thursday smashing 24 kills and has 38 kills in her last two outings.

The Aggies lead the all-time series 5-3, having won the last two meetings. Louisiana is winless at the Pan American Center and has been swept in its last two appearances.

Following Friday's match the Cajuns will continue their season-ending four-match road trip on Sunday, Nov. 9 in a 1 p.m. match at Denver.

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