VB CajunsWin Louisiana 3, App State 1
Sarah Schnell delivered a career-high 18 kills as the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Volleyball team used a consistent offensive attack and timely blocking to defeat App State 3-1 (26-24, 26-24, 19-25, 25-18) on Friday, October 23 at the Holmes Convocation Center in Boone, North Carolina.
The Ragin' Cajuns (11-11, 6-3 SBC) hit .220 or better in every set and finished at .258 (57 K, 17 E, 155 TA), their highest hitting on the road in SBC play this season. Louisiana earned its first win in Boone since 2016 and moved ahead 10-9 in the all-time series.
UL held a 57-55 advantage in kills and limited the SBC East-leading Mountaineers (14-9, 7-2 SBC) to a .197 hitting percentage. Emily Williams' match-high nine blocks anchored a 12-11 edge at the net, including five Louisiana blocks in the deciding fourth set.
Schnell hit .275 (18 K, 7 E, 40 TA) and added four blocks, while Jazmine Gaston supplied a season-high 11 kills over 23 swings on .435 hitting and added four blocks. Lolo Lambert contributed 12 kills to give Louisiana three players in double figures.
Rhyan Miciotto distributed 31 assists, and Ryleigh Garis added 15 assists and four of UL's seven aces. Kennedy Gustafson paced the defense with 14 digs and served two aces.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Louisiana overcame a 6-1 deficit in the opening set, using 18 kills to work its way in front. Schnell recorded seven kills in the frame, including one that broke a 24-all tie before Garis sealed the set with an ace.
The Ragin' Cajuns hit .324 in the second set and built a 19-12 advantage. App State erased five consecutive set points to draw even at 24, but Schnell answered with a kill and a solo block to secure a two-set lead.
After the Mountaineers pulled away from a 16-all tie to claim the third set, Louisiana regained control immediately in the fourth.
UL broke a 3-all tie with four straight points and never trailed in the final frame. A four-point surge stretched an 18-15 lead to 22-15, with Gustafson's ace capping the run. Gaston later delivered a kill to halt App State's final push, and Schnell finished the match with her 18th kill.
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
The Ragin' Cajuns close out the two-match series with the Mountaineers on Saturday, October 24 at the Holmes Convocation Center in Boone, North Carolina. First serve in the series finale is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. (CDT) on ESPN+.
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