Women's Volleyball

Mazeitis-Fontenot earns first Sun Belt volleyball win as head coach of the Ragin' Cajuns

JONESBORO, Ark. - No. 3 Louisiana picked up its first Sun Belt volleyball tournament win since 2000 with a 3-0 sweep over No. 7 Appalachian State in the first of two quarterfinal matches on Friday. The sweep was also the first of the 2017 championship after back-to-back five-set matches to open the tournament on Thursday.

The Ragin' Cajuns (21-10) received a bye in the first round and will now face No. 2 Texas State on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 5 p.m. (CT) in the first semifinal. The Ragin' Cajuns split with the Bobcats during the regular season.

"Texas State is a great team and we are happy to be playing them again," said Ragin' Cajuns head coach Heather Mazeitis-Fontenot. "We've had some battles this year both at our place theirs so now whose going to win this final match."

In their first Sun Belt tournament since 2014 the Ragin' Cajuns wasted no time in dispatching of the Mountaineers. The Ragin' Cajuns made quick work of Appalachian State in the first set, disposing of the Mountaineers 25-17. The Ragin' Cajuns put together solid second and third sets to put away the Mountaineers, sending App home with identical scores of 25-22 in the final two sets.

"I’m super pleased with my team and how they came out – they were very calm," said Ragin' Cajuns head coach Heather Mazeitis-Fontenot. "We got into the match and I told them to trust the process of what we have already been doing and I think they did. I was very proud of the group effort," she added.

The tournament win for the Cajuns was the first in the tenure of Mazeitis-Fontenot.

Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, Hali Wisnoskie, of the Ragin' Cajuns led all players with 12 kills in 30 total attacks. she committed only two attack errors for a hitting percentage of .333. Emma Longley of App had 11 kills and five digs while Kara Spicer had 10 kills and led the Mountaineers in hitting (.261).

Ragin' Cajuns setter, Jessica Bartczyszyn, was one dig short of a double-double as she tallied 40 assists and nine digs in the win.

Louisiana had 45 kills to App State's 37 and outhit the Mountaineers .286-.125.

The 21 program wins for the Cajuns are a new program best while a member of the Sun Belt (1992) and a high under Mazeitis-Fontenot.