LAFAYETTE, La. (9/29/22) – Arkansas State's volleyball team dropped a tough 3-0 decision at Louisiana Thursday night inside Earl K. Long Gym.
Macey Putt led A-State (5-10, 0-3 SBC) with nine kills, while the Ragin' Cajuns (8-4, 2-1) knocked down a dozen blocks in the match. The Red Wolves kept it close for much of the contest, but Louisiana built a lead midway through the third set to earn the sweep.
Lauren Musante (18 assists) and Kassidy Reeves (12) combined for 30 assists, while Sarah Martinez led the Scarlet and Black with nine digs. Reeves and Elise Wilcox served a pair of aces, combining for four of A-State's five, with Martinez also firing an ace.
Wilcox also registered eight kills, while Kyla Wiersema knocked down eight on 18 attempts (.333) with two blocks.
SET 1 – LOUISIANA 27, A-STATE 25
After Louisiana led off the match with an ace, A-State sided out to spark a 6-0 run to force an early timeout. The Red Wolves stretched their lead out to six – the team's largest lead of the set – after a kill by Putt made it 9-3. Louisiana rallied late to take a 24-23 lead before A-State forced extra points. Wiersema's fifth kill of the set tied it at 25 before the Cajuns took the next two points to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
SET 2 – LOUISIANA 26, A-STATE 24
Arkansas State took an early 4-2 lead on a kill by Wiersema in what would be a back-and-forth set from the start. After the Cajuns took a 12-11 edge, a Putt kill capped off a 3-0 run by the Red Wolves to make it 14-12. Neither team led by more than two points until Louisiana went ahead 23-20 on a kill by Emery Judkins. A-State rallied to tie it at 23, then a kill by Wilcox saved a set point to make it 24-all. Kills by Judkins and Kelsey Bennett ended the set to give the hosts a two-set lead.
SET 3 – LOUISIANA 25, A-STATE 17
Louisiana never trailed in the third and led by as much as 10 en route to clinching the match. After a service error cut it to 8-6, the Ragin' Cajuns went on a 9-2 run to make it 17-8. A-State sided out and cut it to 17-10 on a Wilcox ace before Louisiana expanded its lead to 21-11 on a kill by Bennett. After another Bennett kill made it 22-12, the Red Wolves clawed back to within five to force a Cajuns timeout. Louisiana then took the final three points after the break, closing out with a pair of aces to end the match.
NEXT UP
Arkansas State concludes its series versus Louisiana Friday afternoon inside Earl K. Long Gym, with first serve set for 4 p.m. on ESPN+.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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