LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — Three narrow set losses was all that kept the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Volleyball team from a weekend sweep and keeping its undefeated home record intact as App State went on to claim a 3-1 win (25-23, 26-24, 20-25, 25-22) on Saturday, October 4 at E.K. Long Gym.

The three sets that Louisiana (10-4, 2-2 SBC) dropped were by a combined total of seven points. There were 42 ties and 15 lead changes that App State (11-4, 2-2 SBC) was able to overcome in those stanzas to salvage a weekend split.

The final stats line bore witness to another evenly contested match in a series where only one of the eight sets was decided by more than five points. The Ragin’ Cajuns and Mountaineers finished even in kills, tied at 49-apiece. Blocks were also tied (7-7) and UL held a slight advantage in hitting percentage (.248-.238) and digs (53-50).

Both sides were unable to find offensive rhythm in Set 1, each team committing seven attack errors. App State used four service aces during an 8-0 run which opened a 22-16 lead and created the largest separation. Louisiana used four straight points to narrow the deficit and later a Chelsea Gilmore kill made it 24-23 with a chance at extra points. However, an untimely service error gave the Mountaineers set point.

The offenses found their footing from the start in Set 2 with a combined 20 kills and only three combined attack errors prior to the media timeout resulting in a 15-14 Cajuns lead at the break.

The largest lead for either side during the second stanza was two points. App State wound up with a 16-15 advantage in kills, gained on back-to-back kills from Bella Hutchens that brought a quick end to extra points.

In Set 3, Cailin Demps started things off with back-to-back kills and Louisiana never trailed or was tied on the way to extending the match leading as much as 16-7. Demps combined with Harley Krause for seven kills in the frame, her final score coming after a Mountaineers service error to extend the lead to 23-18.

The fourth set mirrored the second as neither team garnered a lead larger than three points, the Mountaineers doing so twice. The latter three-point edge was created by three straight kills, capped off by back-to-back winners from Hutchens, after the Ragin’ Cajuns drew a 22-all tie on a combo block from Gilmore and Jazmine Gaston.

App State became the first visiting team under the current Sun Belt scheduling model (two-match series) to claim victory in a matchup between the two programs. The Mountaineers also snapped a four-match losing skid to the Ragin’ Cajuns

LEADING THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS

Demps, Gilmore and Krause paced the offense with 11 kills apiece, combing for 33 of the Cajuns’ 49 kills. Gilmore’s production came on 21 error-free swings (.524%).

Three Cajuns had a hand in three blocks, Gilmore included. Freshman Lindsey Henry and Marlee Ervin also recorded three blocks.

Demps starred at the service line with her season-high three aces.

Grace Sweeney hauled in a match-high tying 14 digs and was followed by libero Kennedy Gustafson’s 12 digs and setter Ryleigh Garis who scooped 10 digs.

Garis’ 24 assists netted her a double-double for the second straight weekend and third time this season.

UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
Louisiana travels to Hattiesburg, Mississippi and resumes divisional play in the Sun Belt Conference from Friday-Saturday, October 10-11 taking on Southern Miss in a two-match series at the USM Wellness Center.

UL and USM are slated to meet at 6:00 p.m. on Friday (Oct. 10) and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 11). The matches are being broadcast on ESPN+ with live stats available at CajunStats.StatBroadcast.com.

Louisiana and Southern Miss have split the two-match SBC series each season since USM joined the conference in 2023.

Last season the two programs had an all-out defensive slugfest at E.K. Long Gym, the Ragin’ Cajuns rounding up 100-plus digs both matches and the Golden Eagles being two digs shy in Match No. 2 of accomplishing the same feat.

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