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Ragin’ Cajuns Volleyball Collects Senior Day Sweep in Season Finale

Posted at 9:54 PM, Nov 11, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-11 22:54:49-05

LAFAYETTE – Behind a dominant performance, both offensively and defensively, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Volleyball team scored a Senior Day sweep over Arkansas State on Sunday at Earl K. Long Gym.

 

The Ragin’ Cajuns (15-15, 7-9 Sun Belt) generated 40 kills on a .311 hitting percentage and held the Red Wolves (17-12, 9-7 Sun Belt) to a .070 hitting percentage using a 57-48 edge in digs and 10-2 advantage in blocks.

 

Louisiana had to overcome a deficit only twice throughout the entire contest and recorded a sizzling 80 percent sideout rate in collecting the 25-20, 25-12, 25-14 victory.

 

The match marked the final career outing at Earl K. Long Gym for the 2018 senior class which includes: Nia Antoine (Lafayette, La./Acadiana HS), Sydney Davis (Baton Rouge, La./St. Joseph’s Academy), Hannah Henry (San Diego, Calif./La Costa Canyon HS), Julia Pasch (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands HS), and Hanna Rovira (Baton Rouge, La./St. Joseph’s Academy).

 

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Ragin’ Cajuns recovered from an early 4-1 deficit in the opening set with a similar scoring run of their own to draw even, signaling the shift in momentum that lasted the remainder of the contest. Louisiana claimed the lead for good, and broke a 7-all tie, when kills from Desiree JohnsonHali Wisnoskie and Pasch fueled a four-point spurt that opened an 11-7 edge.

 

Rovira landed six kills in the second set, leading the charge as Louisiana opened a commanding 2-0 match lead.

 

Louisiana began to gain separation in the third set following a Wisnoskie kill which kept the hosts in the lead at 7-5. Antoine followed with a block solo and kill to extend the lead to 9-5, then after a Red Wolves sideout the Ragin’ Cajuns reeled off four straight points to put the visitors on their heels at 13-6.

 

Arkansas State’s last effort at extending the match was three straight Carlisa May kills which trimmed the Louisiana lead to 16-10. After trading sideouts, Johnson put the exclamation point on the triumph with a kill and block on the next two rallies.

 

LEADING THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS

Rovira posted her single-season best 12th double-digit kills performance, scoring 13 kills on a .262 percentage. She added 10 digs for her seventh double-double in Sun Belt play.

 

Wisnoskie landed 11 kills on only 19 swings and finished with a .526 hitting percentage. The sophomore outside hitter capped off a second straight season of 300-plus kills upping her final season tally to 331.

 

Davis, the program’s career digs leader in the rally scoring era, scooped a match-high 15 digs for her 104th career outing of double figures. She reached double digits in all but one match in the 2018 season and increased her final career digs tally to 1,994.

 

Dree’Ana Abram posted a match-high five blocks (2 BS, 3 BA) while Johnson and Pasch were also key to the frontline success with three blocks each.

 

Setter Avery Breaux picked up her eighth double-double in Sun Belt play, and 12th overall, with 17 assists and 10 digs. Her 6-2 system counterpart Milayne Danna turned in a team-leading 18 assists.

 

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