The Book 2004-05 UL Lady Cajuns Volleyball

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LOUISIANA La. — Becky Madden is the first to admit that her University of Louisiana volleyball team had its rough moments in 2003.

The Lady Cajuns finished 6-22 overall, including 2-13 in Sun Belt Conference and 0-11 on the road. But she welcomes the squad back for practice this morning with an eye towards improvement.

“We struggled in the fall,” Madden said. “Last year was a big transition year for us, with 8 new players, so we expected that.

“But we’re moving forward. We started to come together as a team in the spring, and we’re hoping to roll that over into this fall.”

The Cajuns, who start the 2004 season Sept. 1 against Southeastern Louisiana and Alcorn State in Hammond, will rely on senior Hollie Girouard (Episcopal of Acadiana) and junior Elina Salomaki (Sweden) to lead the return to respectability.

“It starts with good, strong leadership,” Madden said. “Hollie and Elina provide that.

“Also, a group I’m impressed with is our four sophomores who were my freshmen last year. They definitely have those kind of traits I’m looking for. As the year goes on, and those sophomores become the juniors and seniors, I see them as a strong group. Our current seniors and juniors will help develop that.

“The whole team is working on confidence and competing at a high level.”

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Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

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Louisiana to face host-SLU and Alcorn State in season-opening doubleheader

HAMMOND - Louisiana's LAdy Cajuns volleyball team will kick off its 29th season of competition here Wednesday afternoon as the squad participates in the Southeastern Tri-Match hosted by Southeastern Louisiana University.

The Cajuns will face intrastate foe SLU at 3 p.m. and then follow up with a 5 p.m. contest against Alcorn State. The Lions will complete the day's action with a match against Alcorn State at 7 p.m. All matches will take place at SLU's University Center.

The start of the 2004 season signifies a new beginning for head coach Becky Madden and her charges as the team seeks to rebound from a disappointing 6-22 finish in 2003.

Madden welcomes back five returning starters and a total of nine players, giving the team a roster of experienced veterans - a significant factor for a team looking to turn things around. The situation is completely opposite of last season's team which featured seven rookies and just four veterans.

"It's a brand new year," said Madden, who is beginning her third season as head coach. "One of our strengths is going to be the fact that the seven new players from last year each have one year of competitive experience under their belt."

Louisiana-Lafayette is expected to field the same starting lineup as it ended the 2003 season, with the exception of setter. Beth Henson's eligibility expired and the Cajuns will stage an audition with senior Tami Harvey and freshman Katelynn Stiefel to find a replacement.

Seniors Hollie Girouard and Stacy Liverett, junior Elina Salomaki along with sophomores Kim Rodgers and Hope Webre are the returning starters.

For the first time since the 2002 season, the Cajuns return the team leader in kills from the season before. Sophomore Hope Webre led Louisiana in total kills (232) while junior Elina Salomaki led in kills per game (2.60) in 2003.

Girouard, who ranked in the Top 10 in the Sun Belt for digs per game, is expected to shore up the defensive efforts at the libero slot once more. Girouard tallied 329 digs in 97 games last season and reached double-figures 18 times.

"We are very excited to get the season started," Madden said. "We will be using the first couple of matches to find out what line-ups to work with which should help prepare us for our home tournament this weekend. Our confidence is 100 percent stronger than last season and the enthusiasm and excitement is definitely strong right now."

The Cajuns are riding a five-match win streak in season openers and have only lost three games in those five matches. UL Lafayette's last season-opening loss came on Sept. 4, 1998 when Cal State Fullerton posted a 3-2 win.

The Cajuns are 16-12 all-time in season openers.

Following Wednesday's matches, the Ragin' Cajuns will open their home schedule as they play host to the Hibernia Bank Classic at Earl K. Long Gym Friday-Saturday, Sept. 3-4. The competition for the four match, round robin event includes Air Force, Mississippi State, Northwestern State and Tulsa.

LOUISIANA SI

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Hibernia Bank Classic

Louisiana welcomes Air Force, Mississippi State, Northwestern State and Tulsa

LOUISIANA La. - Louisiana's LAdy Cajuns volleyball team will open its home schedule this weekend as they host the Hibernia Bank Classic at Earl K. Long Gym Friday-Saturday, Sept. 3-4.

Louisiana welcomes Air Force, Mississippi State, Northwestern State and Tulsa for the two-day, five-team, round-robin event. A total of 10 matches will be contested Friday and Saturday (five each day) with action beginning at 10 a.m.

The tournament will begin on Friday at 10 a.m. as Northwestern State faces Mississippi State in the tournament opener to be followed by Tulsa and Air Force at Noon.

The Cajuns begin competition at 2 p.m. against Mississippi State and conclude Friday's action against Tulsa at 7 p.m.

Tulsa and Mississippi State jumpstart the action on Saturday with a 10 a.m. match. Louisiana will face Northwestern State at Noon and Air Force in the tournament finale at 7 p.m.

Fans are being offered a 2-day pass for admission into all tournament matches on Friday and Saturday. The price for the pass is $10 and is a one-time purchase. The last day to purchase one is Friday, Sept. 3.

One-Day passes will be available at the Earl K. Long Gym front entrance, both on Friday and Saturday. Ticket prices are $6 for adults and $4 for children ages 2-16.

UL students are admitted free of charge with their student ID.

Hibernia Bank Classic
Friday-Saturday, Sept. 3-4, 2004
Earl K. Long Gym - La. Louisiana

Friday, Sept. 3, 2004

Match 1 - 10 a.m. - Northwestern State vs. Mississippi State

Match 2 - Noon - Tulsa vs. Air Force

Match 3 - 2 p.m. - Mississippi State vs. Louisiana

Match 4 - 5 p.m. - Air Force vs. Northwestern State

Match 5 - 7 p.m. - Louisiana vs. Tulsa

Saturday, Sept. 4, 2004

Match 6 - 10 a.m. - Tulsa vs. Mississippi State

Match 7 - Noon - Louisiana vs. Northwestern State

Match 8 - 2 p.m. - Mississippi State vs. Air Force

Match 9 - 5 p.m. - Northwestern State vs. Tulsa

Match 10 - 7 p.m. - Air Force vs. Louisiana

TICKETS

2-day pass $10 (all matches Friday and Saturday)

1-day pass $6 (adults); $4 (children)

UL Students free with valid I.D.

LOUISIANA SI

[CAJUNJUDO]

Cajuns win first two to go 2-0!!

Game 1:
UL 3
SLU 1

Game 2:
UL 3
Alcorn State 0

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Louisiana downs Southeastern Louisiana and Alcorn State to win the Southeastern Tri-Match

HAMMOND - Louisiana's LAdy Cajuns volleyball team used a consistent hitting attack to sweep its competition here Wednesday afternoon in the Southeastern Tri-Match, posting a 3-1 (30-24, 30-21, 27-30, 30-22) win over host-Southeastern Louisiana in the opener followed by a 3-0 (30-16, 30-20, 30-22) sweep of Alcorn State.

The Ragin' Cajuns (2-0) registered double-digit kills in each game played and ended the day with a team hitting percentage of .274, as the squad posted its sixth consecutive season-opening victory and began the season 2-0 for the third straight year.

Junior outside hitter Elina Salomaki led the offense with 27 kills and ended the day with 21 digs. Senior Hollie Girouard collected 22 digs including 16 in the opener with SLU to pace the team's defensive efforts.

Louisiana-Lafayette stormed out of the gate against the Lions to grab a 2-0 lead. The Cajuns posted a .375 attack percentage in the first game and followed it up with a .424 clip in the second frame.

SLU picked up a match-high 20 kills in the third game to avoid the sweep and force a fourth game.

The two teams were evenly matched through the first 18 points of the fourth game until the Cajuns reeled off four straight points to grab a 13-9 lead. The Lions would cut the lead back to two points, but the Cajuns used another set of four unanswered points to put the game out of reach and seal the match.

Salomaki posted a double-double as she put down 18 kills and tallied 19 digs. Hope Webre and Jessica Pattison joined Salomaki in double-digit kills with 12 and 10 respectively.

Tami Harvey tied her career-high with 53 assists as she got the start in her bid to become the front-runner at the setter's slot.

The match was tightly contested as with Louisiana-Lafayette holding a 60-53 edge in kills and 65-64 lead in digs. It was the Cajuns attack percentage that made the difference in the end - UL Lafayette out-hit SLU .275 to .182.

The Cajuns turned to a balanced attack to dismiss Alcorn State in the nightcap.

Four different players tallied at least seven kills and the squad enjoyed a 44-14 edge in kills. Pattison led the way with a career-best 11 kills while Salomaki chipped in with nine.

The defensive duties were carried out evenly as well, as everyone but two who saw action picked up at least one dig. Freshman Erika Castro led the way with seven digs.

The Cajuns posted double-digit kills in each game of the match while the Braves never reached more than seven kills in a game.

Freshman setter Katelynn Stiefel made her debut and collected 15 assists as she split time with Harvey.

The consistent hitting performances overshadowed the Cajuns trouble with the serving game. The Cajuns struggled with their serve committing 18 errors against SLU in the opener and 13 against Alcorn.

Louisiana returns to action this weekend as the squad hosts the Hibernia Bank Classic Friday-Saturday, Sept. 3-4 at Earl K. Long Gym. The Cajuns face Mississippi State at 2 p.m. and Tulsa at 7 p.m. on Friday. The action wraps up on Saturday as the host-Cajuns battle in-state rival Northwestern State at Noon and conclude the tournament against Air Force at 7 p.m.

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Louisiana hosting Hibernia Bank Classic this weekend at Earl K. Long Gym

LOUISIANA La. - Louisiana's Lady Cajuns volleyball team will make its 2004 season home debut here Friday afternoon in the opening round of the Hibernia Bank Classic at Earl K. Long Gym. The Ragin' Cajuns will face Mississippi State at 2 p.m. and conclude the day's action at 7 p.m. against Tulsa.

Louisiana welcomes Air Force, Mississippi State, Northwestern State and Tulsa for the two-day, five-team, round-robin event which wraps up Saturday. A total of 10 matches will be contested (five each day) Friday and Saturday with action beginning at 10 a.m.

The LAdy Cajuns (2-0) opened the season Wednesday with a pair of victories over Southeastern Louisiana and Alcorn State in the Southeastern Tri-Match.

Friday's matches mark the beginning of a five-match homestand for the Cajuns. UL will face Northwestern State and Air Force on Saturday and conclude the stretch Tuesday, Sept. 7 with a 7 p.m. match against Tulane.

The Cajuns offense is led by junior outside hitter Elina Salomaki, last season's leader in kills per game. The Helsinki, Finland, native paced the offensive efforts at SLU with 27 kills including 18 in the opener.

Sophomore Jessica Pattison stepped into the stating lineup and turned in an admirable performance in Wednesday's matches. The Maurice native tallied 21 kills in the two matches and saw action in all seven games.

Defensively, Hollie Girouard continues to lead the charge. The Broussard native racked up 22 digs at the Southeastern Tri-Match including 16 against SLU. Salomaki and freshman Erika Castro chimed in with 21 and 16 digs respectively, providing Girouard with some support.

The race for the starting setter's job should heat up this weekend. Senior Tami Harvey got the nod at SLU and turned in a career-high tying 53 assists. Freshman Katelynn Stiefel made her debut against Alcorn as her and Harvey shared the duties. Stiefel had 15 assists and controlled the offense the entire third game.

Coming into pre-season drills in August head coach Beck Madden was clear in making a point that the setter's job will go the one who is consistent and can lead the team effectively - after all it is volleyball's version of the quarterback.

The Lady Cajuns came away from Hammond exhibiting a balanced attack both offensively and defensively. Five players ended the day with double-digit kills while four reach double-digit digs. As a team, Louisiana's attack percentage was .275 for the day and the team posted double-digit kills in each game played.

One area of emphasis this weekend should be on the serving game. The Cajuns committed 31 service errors Wednesday and must work on cutting down on mistakes which give the opposition a free and easy point.

Mississippi State will be beginning its season at the Hibernia Bank Classic and will already have one match under its belt as the Bulldogs open the tournament against Northwestern State at 10 a.m.

MSU returns six letterwinners from last season's 3-23 squad which ended the season losing 20 of its final 22 matches. The Bulldogs hired former standout Tina Seals during the offseason and begin the first season under her direction.

The Bulldogs return two starters, including the team's returning scorer, Rachel Cooper, who posted 306 kills last year.

Louisiana and MSU have met 15 previous times with the last meeting taking place on Sept. 8, 2001 in Starkville at the MSU Invitational.

Tulsa (1-0) returns five starters from last season's 11-17 squad. The Golden Hurricane has its top three scorers all of whom each tallied over 250 kills a season ago.

The revenge factor will in the Cajuns hands. Last season Tulsa posted a 3-1 (30-20, 30-16, 19-30, 30-19) victory at the Stephen F. Austin Invitational

TU began its season Wednesday in a home match with North Texas. The Golden Hurricane prevailed 3-1 (26-30, 30-25, 30-25, 30-25).

Louisiana enters Friday's match with MSU riding a seven-match winning streak in home openers.

Following Friday's events, Louisiana will continue tournament play on Saturday with a Noon match against Northwestern State and 7 p.m. battle with Air Force in the tournament finale.

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HIBERNIA BANK CLASSIC SCHEDULE OF MATCHES
Friday, Sept. 3, 2004
Match 1 - 10 a.m. - Northwestern State vs. Mississippi State
Match 2 - Noon - Tulsa vs. Air Force
Match 3 - 2 p.m. - Mississippi State vs. Louisiana
Match 4 - 5 p.m. - Air Force vs. Northwestern State
Match 5 - 7 p.m. - Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Tulsa

Saturday, Sept. 4, 2004
Match 6 - 10 a.m. - Tulsa vs. Mississippi State
Match 7 - Noon - Louisiana vs. Northwestern State
Match 8 - 2 p.m. - Mississippi State vs. Air Force
Match 9 - 5 p.m. - Northwestern State vs. Tulsa
Match 10 - 7 p.m. - Air Force vs. Louisiana

TICKETS
2-day pass $10 (all matches Friday and Saturday)
1-day pass $6 (adults); $4 (children)
UL Students free with valid I.D.

LOUISIANA SI

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Louisiana looking to end its four-match losing streak and pick up its first home win of the season

LOUISIANA La. - Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns volleyball team will be taking the court at Earl K. Long Gym for the last time until the calendar turns to October when the squad hosts in-state rival Tulane here Tuesday, Sept. 7. First serve is set for 7 p.m.

The match is the final one of the Cajuns' current five-match homestand and is the last home match until Wednesday, Oct. 6 when UNO provides the opposition for the Sun Belt Conference home opener. Following Tuesday's contest, the Cajuns will begin a 10-match road trip spanning the next four weekends.

Louisiana (2-4) will be looking to snap a four-match losing streak and register its first home victory of the young season. The Cajuns lost all four matches this past weekend during the Hibernia Bank Classic after opening the season with a pair of victories in the Southeastern Tri-Match.

Tulane (4-0) claimed the championship of its own Kathy Trosclair Memorial Tournament last weekend by posting straight set sweeps of Nicholls State, Southern Illinois and Georgetown. The Green Wave, making their 2004 road debut, have yet to lose a game this season - posting straight set sweeps in all matches played.

One trend will be broken after the completion of Tuesday's battle - UL has not been swept in straight sets this season.

Tulane will be making its first appearance at Long Gym since Oct. 8, 1991. The Green Wave leads the all-time series 36-7 and has won the last three meetings in straight sets. The Cajuns last win came on Sept. 22, 1998 in New Orleans.

The Cajuns rely on a balanced attack both offensively and defensively. Five players have accumulated 40-plus kills while four have tallied 40-plus digs.

Junior outside hitter Elina Salomaki paces the offense with 3.26 kills per game. She has reached double figures in kills in each match except one and leads the team with three double-doubles.

Freshman Katelynn Stiefel took the lead in the race for the setter's position during the Hibernia Bank Classic, earning the starting nod in both matches Saturday. The Beulah, N.D., native was forced to handle the duties fulltime in the tournament finale with Air Force after senior Tami Harvey suffered a shoulder injury earlier in the day.

Tuesday's match gives Stiefel an opportunity to strengthen her bid for the job.

Another position battle is developing at libero. Senior Hollie Girouard and freshman Erika Castro shared the duties last weekend.

Girouard has struggled with her serve receive as of late and committed 17 reception errors in the Hibernia Bank Classic. The two are the team's top two in terms of digs with Girouard averaging 3.39 and Castro 3.32 per game.

The Green Wave, which were picked to finish fourth in Conference USA, return four starters from last season's 25-7 team, including preseason all-league middle blocker Deva Fowler and two-time All C-USA honoree Anastasia Kenon. Fowler earned AVCA honorable-mention All-America honors as a junior after leading the team in kills (444), kills per game (3.83), service aces (39), solo blocks (27), block assists (146), total blocks (146) and blocks per game (1.49).

Fowler leads Tulane with 53 kills (4.42 kpg) and a .489 attack percentage. As a team, the Green Wave is averaging 15.58 kills per game and sports a .266 attack percentage compared to opponent's 9.75 kills per game and .048 attack percentage.

For ticket information to Tuesday's match or any future Ragin' Cajuns athletics event, contact the Louisiana-Lafayette Athletics Ticket Office at (337) 265-2100.

LOUISIANA SI

Louisiana's Elina Salomaki (#11)

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Loss is fifth straight for UL Lafayette after 2-0 start.

LAFAYETTE — The learning curve got steeper for UL Lafayette’s Ragin’ Cajun volleyball team on Tuesday as Tulane administered a 30-24, 30-18, 30-27 sweep at Earl K. Long Gym.

The defeat, UL’s fifth in a row after two wins, was the first time this season that the Cajuns had been swept in three games.

“I think we did a good job of ball control with our serve receive and back row defense,” UL coach Becky Madden said. “Our block and front-row offense are still an issue.

“We’re just so young. They’re nervous to play. They’re tight. They don’t want to make a mistake.”

Characteristic of that were a number of Cajun slams that flew too deep.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

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CLEMSON, S.C. – Fans of Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns volleyball team should have enjoyed the team’s recent five-match homestand, because now the squad will spend the next four weeks competing in a 10-match road trip.

The team departed Lafayette early Thursday morning on a 730-mile journey to the site of this weekend’s Big Orange Bash hosted by Clemson University Friday-Saturday, Sept. 10-11 here at Jervey Gym – the first of four stops on the road swing.

The trip kicked off a four-weekend tour of six different cities for the Ragin’ Cajuns who will be playing in 10 straight road matches beginning with the Big Orange Bash.

Following this weekend’s tournament Louisiana-Lafayette will make stops in Oxford, Miss.; Denton, Texas; Bowling Green, Ky.; Las Cruces, N.M. and Denver before returning home Oct. 6 to face I-10 rival UNO.

The current task at hand for the Cajuns (2-5), though, is attempting to snap a five-match losing streak and this weekend’s action in the Big Orange Bash.

Louisiana will begin tournament play Friday against Central Michigan at 9 a.m. (CT) and conclude play with Coastal Carolina at 3:30 p.m. (CT). The Cajuns close out their stay in Clemson when they battle the host-Tigers of the Atlantic Coast Conference at 11:30 a.m. (CT) on Saturday in the tournament finale.

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Ole Miss Plays First Of Three Games At 7 on Thursday

OXFORD, Miss. - After a disappointing weekend on the road, the Lady Rebel volleyball team returns home for a trio of games as Ole Miss (5-2) hosts the Rebel Classic over the weekend.

The Lady Rebels will take on Louisiana in the first match at 7 p.m. on Thursday in the Gillom Sports Center.

"We're excited about the opportunity to return home and get a chance to play in front of our home crowd again," said assistant coach Kris Grunwald. "The one thing about playing on the road is that there are so many things you can't control. Now we get a chance to come home and continue to improve as a young team in front of our fans."

The Lady Rebels went 1-2 in the Classic Honda Premiere at Texas State University, dropping the first matches of the season after a 4-0 start and claiming the Magnolia Invitational title a week earlier. Elena Garcia and Jillian Ohrman claimed All-Tournament honors at the event, their second in a row.

Kristen Carroll has been teaming with Jaclyn Toohey to lead the Ole Miss attack through seven games this season, as the duo has tallied 73 and 72 kills, respectively. Carroll has continued her stellar play from the Magnolia Invitational that saw her earn MVP honors, while Toohey has continually stepped it up in critical times and attacked the ball aggressively to push the Ole Miss offense.

The rest of the story

[DaddyCajun]

Nice uniforms! I like the Louisiana, but the lafayette is W A Y too BIG!!!

Just Daddys opinion!
DaddyCajun!!!
Geaux Louisiana!

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Lady Cajuns end nine-match losing streak with a 3-2 victory over Illinois-Chicago, will finish tournament play against Jacksonville State at 4 p.m.

OXFORD, Miss. - Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns volleyball team headed to the Ole Miss Rebel Classic in need of a confidence booster before entering Sun Belt Conference play next weekend.

That boost might have been provided here Friday afternoon when the squad ended week's worth of frustration and snapped a season-high, nine-match losing streak with a 3-2 (18-30, 30-24, 18-30, 30-19, 15-6) come-from-behind victory over Illinois-Chicago at the Gillom Sports Center.

The Ragin' Cajuns (3-9) rallied from a 2-1 deficit with commanding victories in games four and five and in the process registered their first win since sweeping the Southeastern Tri-Match on Sept. 1.

Hope Webre turned in a season-high 15 kills on 29 attempts and Jessica Pattison backed her up with a career-best 14 kills on 26 attempts.

The entire UL starting lineup turned in an impressive performance by combining for 53 of the team's 54 total kills.

Freshman Erika Castro posted a match-high 14 digs and freshman setter Katelynn Stiefel handed out a season-high 42 assists.

It was no coincidence that the Cajuns losing streak came to an end against UIC.

Louisiana turned in a team hitting percentage of .216 - the highest since the season opening wins. The 54 kills were the second-most since tallying 60 in the season opener with Southeastern Louisiana.

One glance at the stat sheet shows an even match. Both teams had 54 kills, UIC had a 47-45 advantage in assists and the match featured 14 tied scores and 11 lead changes.

The Cajuns pulled out the victory with its frontline defense that piled up a season-high 17 blocks (five solo).

Down 2-1, the Cajuns chalked up six blocks in cruising to a 30-19 victory that evened the match and set up the decisive fifth game.

Stacy Liverett posted a team-best eight blocks with Kim Rodgers a close second at seven. Liverett and Elina Salomaki each had two solo stuffs.

UL Lafayette enjoyed a 9-2 advantage in kills in the match-clinching fifth set. The Cajuns made just one error and needed just 12 attempts to make quick work of UIC.

The Cajuns were able to turn the tables in the fourth and fifth games as the Flames (4-7) were held to negative hitting percentages hitting a combined -.067.

Louisiana concludes its stay in Oxford with a 4 p.m. match against Jacksonville State.

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Louisiana looking for its first 1-0 conference start since 2001

DENTON, Texas - For Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns volleyball team, the portion of the season which counts the most has arrived.

Non-conference matches count as wins and losses and prepare you for competition in conference play. But, conference matches are what determines championships and ultimately your postseason dreams.

Louisiana (3-10) begins Sun Belt Conference play here Friday night when the visiting Ragin' Cajuns take on host-North Texas (1-10) in the conference opener for both squads at The Snake Pit on the NT campus. First serve is set for 7 p.m.

Friday's match is the beginning of the Cajuns quest to make a return to the annual Sun Belt Conference Tournament after a one-year absence. UL struggled to a 2-13 conference mark during the 2003 season and missed the tournament for the first time since 1996.

The squad has vowed to return to the tournament in 2004 and Friday's match is the first step toward meeting the goal.

The match is also the continuation of the squad's season-long, 10-match road trip and the first of four straight conference matches on the road.

Louisiana is coming off of arguably its best back-to-back performances of the season.

The Cajuns finished play at last week's Ole Miss Rebel Classic posting 50-plus kills in the final two matches, splitting the matches and snapping a season-high, nine-match losing streak.

The Cajuns blocking corps continued to shine, posting double-digit blocks in both matches. UL Lafayette has reached double-figure blocking in eight of 13 matches this season registering 128 blocks.

The blocking game should bear a significant factor as the Cajuns have tallied double what the Mean Green has been able to chalk up this season.

Elina Salomaki and Hope Webre provide the 1-2 punch offensively averaging 2.69 and 2.43 kills per game respectively.

Webre continued her improved play at the Ole Miss Rebel Classic putting down 33 kills (2.75 per game) while posting a .209 attack percentage.

Freshman setter Katelynn Stiefel has shown sings of progress as well. Stiefel tallied 40-plus assists in both of the Friday matches at the Ole Miss Rebel Classic

North Texas is adjusting to having lost four starters from last season's 22-14 squad. The Mean Green has struggled with the transition beginning the season with seven straight losses.

NT is paced offensively by Katy Prokof and Brittney Gregory. Both have tallied 100-plus kills thus far and average 2.86 and 2.78 respectively.

The contest marks the Mean Green's second home outing of the season. NT opened the season with seven straight road matches before hosting Texas Southern Tuesday, Sept. 14.

Louisiana is looking for its first Sun Belt Conference opening-victory since the 2001 season.

The Cajuns will also be attempting to snap a four-match losing streak against the Mean Green. UL Lafayette's last victory in the series was a 3-2 (24-30, 29-31, 30-24, 30-21, 15-6) victory

Following Friday's match, the Ragin' Cajuns will head to Bowling Green, Ky., for a Sunday matinee with four-time Sun Belt East Division champion Western Kentucky (11-1).

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LOUISIANA La. - Louisiana's LAdy Cajuns volleyball team earned its first home victory of the season with a 3-0 (30-28, 31-29, 30-28) sweep of Lamar here Thursday evening at Earl K. Long Gym.

In a match where each game was decided by two points it was the Ragin' Cajuns who took advantage of a 54-41 advantage in kills to register its second straight sets sweep of the season.

Louisiana (4-15) posted at least 15 kills in each game including a match-high 20 in the third game.

The Cajuns hitting percentage was above .200 in each game and the final percentage of .207 was the highest since hitting .216 in a 3-2 win over Illinois-Chicago on Sept. 17.

Elina Salomaki led the Cajuns offense with a match-high 14 kills as she reached double-figures for the third straight match. Salomaki added 15 digs to record her second straight double-double and fifth of the season.

Hope Webre continued her recent improved play by tacking on 11 kills for her second straight match in double-digits.

Hollie Girouard led the Cajuns defensive efforts with a career-high 25 digs. UL put four players in double-digits and out-dug the Cardinals 75-53.

Lamar (7-11), dropping its 10th match in the last 11 outings, received a team-best 12 kills from Molli Abel.

The first game featured 13 tied scores and five lead changes. With the score kotted 25-25, UL's Jessica Pattison gave the Cajuns the lead for good with a kill.

The Cajuns lead was 29-26 before a kill from Buchi Okoh and a service ace by Nikki Perry pulled Lamar within 29-28. Pattison ended the game on the next serve with another kill.

In game two, Louisiana snapped a 12-12 tie with three unanswered points and led by as many as five points late in the game.

The Cardinals would fight back to tie the game 29-29. Back-to-back kills from Webre and Salomaki gave the Cajuns their second victory of the match.

In game three, the Cajuns jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead and rallied from a 17-14 deficit to secure the sweep.

Trailing 17-15, Louisiana reeled of six consecutive points off the serve of Courtney Zimmer to take a 21-17 lead. Back-to-back kills by Tami Harvey and Hope Webre evened the score and an attack error by Okoh put the Cajuns in front 18-17.

Lamar made another late rally using a 5-1 run to forge a 28-28 tie through 56 points. Back-to-back kills from Erika Castro and Jessica Pattison ended the game and handed the Cajuns the match victory.

The Cajuns victory snapped Lamar's two-match win streak in the series.

Louisiana will conclude its current three-match homestand and return to Sun Belt Conference play on Saturday in a 7 p.m. match against South Alabama at Earl K. Long Gym.

LOUISIANA SI

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Louisiana returns to Sun Belt Conference play against South Alabama

LOUISIANA La. - Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns volleyball team returns to Sun Belt Conference action and concludes a three-match homestand Saturday as the squad hosts South Alabama at Earl K. Long Gym.

First serve is set for 7 p.m.

The Ragin' Cajuns (4-15, 0-5 Sun Belt) are coming off of a 3-0 (30-28, 31-29, 30-28) victory over Lamar Thursday evening. The victory snapped a six-match losing streak and was the first home win of the season.

Now, the Cajuns will look to build on the momentum and pick up the first conference win of the season.

Saturday's match will play a determining factor in the Cajuns hopes to reach the 2004 Sun Belt Tournament. The Cajuns, who trail eight-place Arkansas-Little Rock by three in the loss column, cannot afford another loss and need to start stringing together some wins to get back in the chase.

A victory on Saturday would keep UL in the running for a berth in the 2004 Sun Belt Tournament with nine league matches remaining on the schedule. It would also mark back-to-back victories for the first time since opening day.

Louisiana has won the last seven meetings against South Alabama at Long Gym and has won 14 of the last 15 meetings overall. The Cajuns have defeated the Jaguars in straight sets the last two meetings at Long Gym.

The Cajuns have continued to show signs of improved play during the homestand.

As a team, UL has registered 54 kills in the first two matches and tallied 89 and 75 digs respectively.

Thursday's match with Lamar was perhaps the most complete effort since defeating Illinois-Chicago on Sept. 17.

The Cajuns attack percentage was above .200 in each game and the squad showed great composure in winning each game by two points especially after the Cardinals rallied to force late ties in games two and three.

Louisiana's outside hitters, who struggled in the first four conference matches, continued to step up on Thursday. Elina Salomaki notched her third straight match with double-digit kills while Hope Webre reached double-digits for the second straight outing.

Webre, who averaged just 1.00 kill per game in the first four conference matches, has averaged 3.29 per game during the homestand.

Salomaki has recorded a double-double in both matches on the homestand totaling 25 kills and 26 digs in the two matches combined.

The Cajuns defense has placed four players in double-digit digs the past two outings. Hollie Girouard pushed her streak of double-digit dig outings to five after a career-high 25 against Lamar.

USA (1-9, 1-3 SBC) is coming off its first victory of the season last Sunday, a 3-2 (23-30, 27-30, 37-35, 30-24, 15-13) road victory against Florida International and its first five-game match of the season.

Freshman Whitney Sanders leads the Jag offense with 3.11 kills per game.

USA will also look to senior Morgan Flarity (2.79 kills per game) and freshman Jenna Swilley (2.21 kills per game). Freshman Shannon VanAntwerp leads the team with 2.53 digs per game.

Following Saturday's match, the Ragin' Cajuns will conclude non-conference play on Tuesday, Oct. 12 as the squad travels to Houston, Texas, to meet Rice University in a 7 p.m. match.

Louisiana's next home match will be its final home outing of October. The Cajuns will host Florida International on Thursday, Oct. 14 in a 7 p.m. match.

LOUISIANA SI